The first decrees of the Bolsheviks 1917. Establishment of Soviet power

I apologize for so many, there were just a lot of decrees!
The decree on the press of October 27 (November 9), 1917 opened the history of Soviet censorship by outlawing the "bourgeois press";The Decree "On the Convocation of the Constituent Assembly at the appointed time" on October 27 (November 9) confirmed the date of elections to the Constituent Assembly on November 12 (25). This date was appointed by the Provisional Government, after long delays. An unpleasant fact for the Bolsheviks was that the All-Russian Commission for Elections to the Constituent Assembly (All-Elections) was also formed by the Provisional Government, and refused to recognize the October Revolution. The Bolsheviks took control of the commission only on November 29, when the elections were already held; Decree on the introduction of an eight-hour working day on October 29 (November 11), 1917; The Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of Russia of November 2 (15), 1917 proclaimed:1) Equality and sovereignty of the peoples of Russia. 2) The right of the peoples of Russia to free self-determination, up to secession and the formation of an independent state. 3) The abolition of all and any national and national-religious privileges and restrictions. 4) The free development of national minorities and ethnographic groups, inhabiting the territory of Russia.The decree on the destruction of estates and civil ranks on November 11 (24), 1917, destroyed all estates, titles and ranks of the Russian Empire, replacing them with a single “name” - “citizen of the Russian Republic”;Decree on the court of November 22 (December 5), 1917 ( see Decrees on Judgment) initiated the demolition of the old judicial system. The Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee ceased the activity of the Governing Senate on November 25 (December 7). The Senate itself recognized neither the October Revolution nor its own dissolution; The decree on the arrest of the leaders of the civil war against the revolution on November 28 (December 11), 1917, outlawed the Cadets party; Decree on the formation of the Cheka on December 7 (20), 1917. The first (chronologically) task of the Cheka was the fight against a mass boycott (in Soviet historiography - "counter-revolutionary sabotage") of the new government by old civil servants ( see Boycott of the Soviet government by civil servants (1917-1918), History of the Soviet state security agencies). The Decree on Peace on October 26 (November 8) declared the goal of the new government to be the rejection of secret diplomacy and the immediate conclusion of "a just, democratic peace" "without annexations and indemnities" by "all warring peoples and their governments". People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Trotsky L.D. managed to seize and publish secret agreements between the tsarist government and the allies; these treaties were used in Bolshevik propaganda to depict the war as being waged for deliberately unjust, predatory purposes. The more important goal of the decree - the achievement of peace, however, was not achieved. Of the belligerent powers, only Germany joined the peace negotiations, thus transforming the world from universal to separate. The demands put forward by Germany turned out to be extremely difficult for Russia, in fact they contained both annexations and indemnities ( for more details see Brest Peace). The Decree on Land on October 26 (November 8) legalized mass self-acquisitions by peasants of landlords' land, which actually began already in April 1917, and took on a special scope in the summer. According to Richard Pipes, after the adoption of the decree, the peasant majority of the country's population for several months completely withdrew from political activity, plunging headlong into the "black redistribution" of land.The decree on the formation of the Workers' and Peasants' Government on October 26 (November 8) formed the first composition of the Council of People's Commissars, headed by Lenin; Resolution on the abolition of the death penalty at the front on October 26 (November 8); Resolution on the arrest of ministers of the Provisional Government on October 26 (November 8); (November 8); The Decree on the full power of the Soviets of October 28 (November 10) announced the liquidation of the system of "dual power", the removal of all commissars of the Provisional Government.
The Decree on the right to recall deputies on November 21 (December 4), 1917 legalized early re-elections of any representative institution at the request of more than half of the voters. In the first half of 1918, with the help of such re-elections, the Bolsheviks were able to oust moderate socialists from a number of local councils. Decree on the nationalization of banks December 17 (24), 1917
The Decree on the formation of the Supreme Council of National Economy (Supreme Council of the National Economy) of December 2 (15), 1917 was an important milestone in the construction of the war communism regime. The Supreme Council of the National Economy became the supreme body for centralized management of the economy; Yuri Larin, who at first had a certain influence on Lenin, remained the main architect of the new organ for a long time. According to Richard Pipes, Larin formed the headquarters of the Supreme Economic Council on the model of the German "Kriegsgesellschaften" (centers for the regulation of industry in wartime);

Peace Decree.

The Decree on Peace is one of the first decrees of the Soviet government, a program foreign policy document that was prepared by V.I. Lenin and adopted by the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets on October 26 (November 8), 1917 unanimously. He expressed the peaceful, humanistic nature of the new social order. The October Revolution was victorious in the context of the ongoing World War I. The question of getting out of it was the most important for many millions of people. The decree contained a proposal to all belligerent peoples and governments to immediately begin negotiations on the conclusion of a just, democratic peace - without annexations and indemnities. The decree proceeded from the possibility of peaceful coexistence with the capitalist countries. For the first time in history, new principles of the international policy of peace and peaceful cooperation, proletarian internationalism, recognition of the full equality of all peoples, respect for their national and state independence, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries were proclaimed. The decree recognized the legitimacy and justice of the liberation struggle of the oppressed peoples and condemned the shameful colonial system.

The decree begins with a call (proposal) to all warring countries to begin negotiations on a just, democratic peace. It means, first of all, an immediate peace without annexations and indemnities. The Government of Russia proposes to conclude such a peace immediately to all the belligerent peoples and expresses its readiness to take all decisive steps to establish peace. By annexation, Lenin means any accession to a large or strong state of a small or weak nationality without its consent. It should be noted that Lenin's definition of annexation is somewhat different from its modern understanding. The difference is that, in the modern sense, annexation is the forcible annexation of the territory of another state by a state, and in Lenin's understanding, it is the forcible annexation of a nationality, i.e. historical community of people.

The government considers that the continuation of the war is the greatest crime against humanity, and also expresses its readiness to sign the terms of peace on equally fair terms for all. The decree draws special attention to the fact that these peace conditions are by no means an ultimatum.

Secret diplomacy was abolished, and the government's firm intention was expressed to conduct all negotiations openly before the whole people. The government expressed its readiness to negotiate in any way, and to facilitate them, appointed its plenipotentiaries to neutral countries.

The decree puts forward a proposal to the belligerent countries to conclude a truce for a period of not less than three months, during which, through negotiations, it was possible to finally approve all the conditions for peace. The decree ends with a specific appeal to England, France and Germany with a call to end the war.

The ruling circles of the imperialist countries of the Entente greeted the Soviet peace proposals with hostility. The decree was enthusiastically received by the masses of Russia and foreign countries. On November 9, 1917, Lenin turned on the radio to the soldiers and sailors with an appeal to choose representatives and enter into negotiations with the enemy about a truce. The so-called "soldier's worlds" began to be concluded at the fronts. In Great Britain, France, and the United States, a wave of demonstrations and rallies demanded peace and support for Soviet Russia. After the rejection of the Soviet peace proposals by the powers of the Entente, the Soviet government was forced to start negotiations with Germany, which resulted in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918.

The Decree on Peace laid the foundations for Soviet foreign policy.

Land Decree.

The Decree on Land was also one of the first decrees of the Soviet power. It was prepared by V. I. Lenin. It was adopted by the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets on October 26 (November 8), 1917 at 2 am, i.e. actually October 27 (November 9). When working on the decree, Lenin used the mandate drawn up by the editors of the Izvestia of the All-Russian Council of Peasant Deputies, based on 242 local peasant mandates (his section "On the Land" was entirely included in the text of the decree). The decree abolished landlord ownership of land immediately without any redemption and transferred landlord, appanage, monastic, church lands with all inventory and buildings at the disposal of volost land committees and county Soviets of peasant deputies, which were entrusted with the duty of the strictest observance of order during the confiscation of landlord estates. At the same time, any damage to the confiscated property, which now belongs to the whole people, was declared a serious crime. Such crimes were punished by a revolutionary court (tribunal), which consisted of a chairman and 6 regular assessors elected by provincial and city councils. The county soviets of peasant deputies had to take all the necessary measures to observe the strictest order in the confiscation of landowners' estates.

The order on land included in the decree (Article 4) determined the new principles of land ownership and land use; the right of private ownership of land was abolished, it was forbidden to sell land, lease it and pledge it, all land turned into public property (that is, it became state property, which meant the nationalization of land). All minerals (ore, oil, coal, salt, etc.), as well as forests and waters, were transferred to the use of the state. Land plots with highly cultivated farms, nurseries, stud farms, etc., as well as the entire household inventory of confiscated lands, were transferred to the exclusive use of the state or communities; All citizens received the right to use land on the condition that it was cultivated by their own labor, family or partnership without the use of hired labor, on the basis of equal land use with a free choice of forms of land use, including the artel. Farmers who lost the opportunity to cultivate land due to old age or disability lost the right to use it and received pensions from the state. The confiscation of inventory did not concern small-land peasants; it was also established that the lands of ordinary peasants and ordinary Cossacks were not confiscated. Upon expropriation, the land entered the land fund, which periodically had to be redistributed depending on demographic changes and raising the productivity and culture of agriculture.

The text of the decree says that the issue of land in its entirety, as well as issues of redemption, can only be resolved by the all-people Constituent Assembly, and the provisions of the decree are, as it were, parting words, i.e. as good as it should be. The state assumed the obligation to organize the resettlement and cover the costs associated with it, as well as the costs of supplying inventory.

The decree ends with the provision that this document is only temporary. It will be carried out until the convocation of the Constituent Assembly.

By decree, the peasants of Russia received more than 150 million acres of land free of charge, were exempted from paying 700 million rubles in gold annually for land rent and from debts for land, which by that time had reached 3 billion rubles. The decree ensured the support of the Soviet government from the working peasantry, laid the economic foundation for strengthening the alliance of workers and peasants.

Decree on Court No. 1.

Decree on Court No. 1 was adopted by the Council of People's Commissars on November 22, 1917 (in other sources, November 24, 1917). He abolished all existing judicial institutions: district courts, judicial chambers and the governing senate with all departments, all military and naval courts, replacing them with courts formed on the basis of democratic elections. The decree suspended the operation of the existing institute of magistrates. Local judges now had to be elected on the basis of direct democratic elections, and before such elections were called, by district and volost (county and city) Soviets. Moreover, those who previously held the position of justices of the peace were not deprived of the right to be elected to local judges both temporarily and finally in democratic elections.

The decree determined the competence of local courts. They had to resolve all civil cases with a claim value of no more than 3,000 rubles and criminal cases, the punishment for which could be no more than 2 years in prison. The sentences and decisions of the local courts were final and not subject to appeal. In certain cases, a request for cassation was allowed. The cassation commission in such cases was the county, and in the capitals - the capital congress of local judges.

The institutions of judicial investigators, prosecutorial supervision, jury and private advocacy were also abolished, and preliminary investigation in criminal cases was assigned to local judges alone until the entire judicial order was transformed.

Local courts decide cases in the name of the Russian Republic and are guided in their decisions and judgments by the laws of the overthrown governments only insofar as they are not abolished by the revolution and do not contradict revolutionary conscience and revolutionary legal consciousness. All laws that contradicted the decrees of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviets of workers, soldiers, and the cross were recognized as repealed. deputies and the Workers' and Peasants' Government, as well as the minimum programs of the RSDLP (the minimum program: the establishment of a bourgeois republic, the abolition of all redemption payments, 8 hours a day, self-determination of all nations) and the party of the SR (the implementation by the working people of the revolution in order to establish socialism, the socialization of all lands, namely, the transfer of land without redemption for communal use, and the communities had to divide the land according to the equalizing labor principle. Prohibition of the sale of land).

To fight against counter-revolutionary forces in the form of taking measures to protect the revolution and its conquests from them, to resolve cases of combating looting and predation, sabotage and other abuses, workers' and peasants' Revolutionary Tribunals are established, consisting of one chairman and six ordinary assessors elected by provincial or city Tips. Special investigative commissions are formed under the same Soviets for the production of the same cases of preliminary investigation.

The fact is that a lot of normative acts were adopted and not all of them could be considered laws, since not all of them had a long-term effect. Those normative acts that were of national importance, since tsarist times, were published, in addition to newspapers, in the “Collection of legalizations and orders of the government, published under the Governing Senate” - the official publication of the Russian Empire, which was published from 1863 to 1917 as an appendix to the “Senate Vedomosti” . Collection (Assemblies) of legalizations - the historical name of the bulletins that officially published acts of Russian legislation from 1863 to 1938.

After 1917, the “Collection of Legalizations” changed several names: initially “Collection of Legalizations and Orders of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Government”, later “Collection of Laws and Orders of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Government of the RSFSR”, which also published a number of interstate treaties.

A similar all-Union bulletin, issued since 1924, was called the "Collection of Laws." (SP)

Periodical edition. So, for example, in 1917-1918, 100 bulletins were published, in 1919 - 69, in 1920 - 100, in 1921 - 80, etc. In each bulletin, from 1 to several dozen normative acts were published. Sometimes the ballots were doubled (if a large law or treaty was published). Decrees, resolutions, orders, etc. were called articles in them. In order to amend the normative act, the new legislative act said: “In changing the law of such and such date, the Collection of Legalizations (Laws, Decrees) (SU, SZ, SP) No. such and such from such and such date and months, article such and such, make such and such changes (additions) to such and such a paragraph (section, paragraph, etc.).

For example: “Paragraph 2 of the resolution of the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of Labor and Defense on the state monopoly on salt () shall be adopted as follows:”

These collections in Soviet times were marked “For official use”, i.e., not all laws were published in the press. For example, for 1921, the decrees “On requisitions and confiscations. (), "On the organization of control in the institutions of the People's Commissariat of Finance." (), "On bonuses for arresters of smuggling." (), Convention between R.S.F.S.R. and Turkey on the return of prisoners to their homeland. () were not published in newspapers. The reasons for this can only be guessed at.

The totality of these Collections of Legalizations (Regulations, Laws) for all years constitutes a “complete” and “exact” list of decrees, which is legislation for any citizen.

2. What is online

You write " Lists of decrees you found on the Web, e.g.:
http://www.bestpravo.ru/sssr/dekrety/page-20.htm
http://www.hist.msu.ru/ER/Etext/DEKRET/index.html
http://www.great-country.ru/content/sov_dekret/dekret/dek_0000.php

And I can add to them

…inaccurate and incomplete ».

I agree with you here. In my opinion (tentative ceiling, I peeped decrees there when the scans were unimportant) there are somewhere between 40-60% (on different sites in different ways) of regulations from what is in the “full” and “exact” collection. What books were the primary sources for these sites, I do not know, but definitely not the Collection of Legalizations (Regulations, Laws).

3. About errors on the site

SU files for (at least) 1917-1922 and 1933-1936 were republished in 1942-1950 by the Administration of the Council of People's Commissars (Council of Ministers) of the USSR. These reissues served as the primary source for “uploading” to the site. Inaccuracies from there. And I repeat your words: But despite this, on the Istmat website, there was a through list of decrees - apparently, today the most complete list available on the Web.", although we should probably add over the years .

4. About the book "Decrees of Soviet Power".

In my opinion, this book, by virtue of the foregoing, is not a “complete and “accurate” list of decrees, this is a book about something else. The first section of the volume contains published decrees (many of the topic of the day) and resolutions, in the second section - acts that were approved and drawn up in the form of completed documents, but were not published at the time. Much attention is paid to the description of work on documents, edits, etc. You correctly noted that “ not only Decrees are interesting, but also Orders, Decrees, Resolutions, Directives, Appeals, Announcements, Radiograms, etc - all this was included in the “Decrees”, in chronological order ". It's in the book and that's what makes it interesting in its own way. It contains a lot of such material that could not and probably should not have been included in the codes of laws. Although some amount of material will be duplicated. So, " compare the materials of the Collections of Legalizations with the content of the volumes “Decrees of Soviet Power” indicated in the subject ' doesn't make sense.

In the morning October 25, 1917 The Military Revolutionary Committee, in the name of the Petrograd Soviet, declared the Provisional Government deposed.

opened in the evening of the same day II All-Russian Congress of Soviets, at which delegates from 402 Soviets of Russia were represented, authorized the transfer of power to the Soviets. Of the 670 delegates to the congress, 390 were Bolsheviks, 160 were Socialist-Revolutionaries, 72 were Mensheviks, 38 were others; The decision of the congress was supported by the majority of the delegates.

2 hours after the arrest of the Provisional Government, the II All-Russian Congress of Soviets ratified two main decrees - “ Peace Decree" and " Land Decree". According to the first decree, all belligerent countries were asked to start negotiations for a world that was just and democratic. The abolition of secret diplomacy was supposed, the publication of secret treaties. Peace should have been made without annexations and indemnities. All of Russia's allies refused to consider these proposals.

“Land Decree” took into account peasant demands and was based on the Socialist-Revolutionary program developed on the basis of 242 peasant local orders. The abolition of private ownership of land, the nationalization of all land was proclaimed. Landlord property was abolished and placed at the disposal of local peasant committees. Equalized land use was introduced, hired labor and land lease were prohibited.

At the congress, a one-party Bolshevik government was formed (the Left SRs entered the government only in December 1917) - the Council of People's Commissars. Headed the government V.I. Lenin, the rest of the posts were distributed as follows: A.I. Rykov - People's Commissar of Internal Affairs; L.D. Trotsky - People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs; A.V. Lunacharsky - People's Commissar of Education; I.V. Stalin - People's Commissar for Nationalities; P.E. Dybenko, N.V. Krylenko and V.A. Antonov-Ovseenko - commissars for military and naval affairs.

The composition of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTSIK) of the Congress of Soviets was elected. L.B. became the chairman. Kamenev. It included 62 Bolsheviks, 29 Left Social Revolutionaries and several representatives of other parties.

In the first months of the October Revolution, the government adopted a large number of decrees, which consolidated changes in the political and economic situation of the Soviet state.

So, from October to December 1917, the following were adopted:

Decree on the introduction of an eight-hour working day;
Decree on the press;
Decree on the destruction of estates and civil ranks;
It is worth saying - the provision on workers' control;
Decree on the formation of the Supreme Economic Council (Supreme Council of the National Economy);
Decree on the democratization of the army;
Decree on civil marriage, on children and the introduction of books-acts of state;
Decree on the nationalization of banks;
Creation of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission (VChK) headed by F.E. Dzerzhinsky;
Decree establishing people's courts and revolutionary tribunals.

Decrees appeared in January 1918:

About the body of conscience, church and religious societies;
On the annulment of government loans;
On the nationalization of the merchant fleet;
On the introduction of the Western European calendar, etc.

Taking into account the sad experience of the Provisional Government, which lost its credibility due to its unwillingness to solve the main problems of the revolution, Lenin proposed to the Second Congress of Soviets to adopt decrees on peace, land and power.

The Decree on Peace proclaimed Russia's withdrawal from the war. The congress turned to all the belligerent governments and peoples with a proposal for a general peace without annexations and indemnities.

The Decree on Land was based on 242 local peasant orders to the First Congress of Soviets, which set out the peasants' ideas about agrarian reform.

The Decree on Power proclaimed the universal transfer of power to the Soviets of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies. The congress elected a new composition of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK). It included 62 Bolsheviks and 29 Left Social Revolutionaries. A certain number of seats were also left to other socialist parties. Executive power was transferred to the interim government - the Council of People's Commissars (SNK) - headed by V. I. Lenin. During the discussion and adoption of each decree, it was emphasized that they were of a temporary nature - until the convocation of the Constituent Assembly, which would have to legislate the principles of the state system.

On November 2, 1917, the Soviet government adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of Russia. It formulated the most important provisions that determined the national policy of the Soviet government: the equality and sovereignty of the peoples of Russia, the right of the peoples of Russia to free self-determination, up to secession and the formation of an independent state, the abolition of all and any national and national-religious privileges and restrictions, the free development of national minorities.

October 29, 1918 . The All-Russian Congress of Unions of Workers' and Peasants' Youth announced the creation of the Russian Communist Youth Union (RKSM).

In December 1917, the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission (VChK) was created under the Council of People's Commissars to "combat counter-revolution, sabotage and profiteering" - the first punitive body of Soviet power. It was headed by F. E. Dzerzhinsky.

The fate of the Constituent Assembly.

Having stood in opposition to the Bolshevik government, the Mensheviks and Socialist-Revolutionaries for the time being did not attempt to overthrow it by force, since initially this path was futile due to the obvious popularity of the Bolshevik slogans among the masses. The bet was made on an attempt to seize power by legal means - with the help of the Constituent Assembly.

The demand for the convocation of the Constituent Assembly appeared in the course of the first Russian revolution. It was included in the programs of almost all political parties. The Bolsheviks waged their campaign against the Provisional Government, among other things, under the slogan of defending the Constituent Assembly, accusing the government of delaying elections to it.

Having come to power, the Bolsheviks changed their attitude towards the Constituent Assembly, declaring that the Soviets were a more acceptable form of democracy. But since the idea of the Constituent Assembly was very popular among the people, and besides, all parties had already put up their lists for elections, the Bolsheviks did not dare to cancel them.
The results of the elections deeply disappointed the Bolshevik leaders. 23.9% of voters voted for them, 40% voted for the Socialist-Revolutionaries, and the right-wing Socialist-Revolutionaries prevailed in the lists. The Mensheviks received 2.3% and the Cadets 4.7% of the vote. The leaders of all major Russian and national parties, the entire liberal and democratic elite were elected members of the Constituent Assembly.

On January 3, 1918, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Working and Exploited People written by V. I. Lenin. The Declaration recorded all the changes that had taken place since October 25, which were regarded as the basis for the subsequent socialist reorganization of society. It was decided to submit this document as the main one for adoption by the Constituent Assembly.

On January 5, the opening day of the Constituent Assembly, a demonstration was held in Petrograd in its defense, organized by the Socialist-Revolutionaries and Mensheviks. By order of the authorities, she was shot.

The Constituent Assembly opened and proceeded in a tense atmosphere of confrontation. The meeting room was filled with armed sailors, supporters of the Bolsheviks. Their behavior went beyond the norms of parliamentary ethics. Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee Ya. M. Sverdlov read out the Declaration of the Rights of the Working and Exploited People and proposed to adopt it, thereby legitimizing the existence of Soviet power and its first decrees. But the Constituent Assembly refused to approve this document. A discussion began on the draft laws on peace and land proposed by the Social Revolutionaries. On January 6, early in the morning, the Bolsheviks announced their resignation from the Constituent Assembly. Following them, the Left Socialist-Revolutionaries also left the meeting. The discussion, which continued after the departure of the ruling parties, was interrupted late at night by the head of the guard, sailor A. Zheleznyakov, saying that "the guard was tired." He urged the delegates to leave the premises.

On the night of January 6-7, 1918, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee adopted a decree dissolving the Constituent Assembly. The dissolution of the Constituent Assembly made a stunning impression on the parties of revolutionary democracy. Hope was lost for a peaceful way to remove the Bolsheviks from power. Now many considered it necessary to carry out an armed struggle against the Bolsheviks.