“The Constitutional-Democratic Party Adheres no Less Firmly to the Principle of Unity and Indivisibility of Russia”: Liberalism and Nationalism in Russian Province, 1905-1914
3-4/2000
Published in Russian translation.
SUMMARY:
Lutz Haefner analyzes in detail the development of “local” liberalism in Saratov at the end of 19th – beginning of the 20th century in order to understand the failures of nationalist mobilization in late imperial Russia. Having noted obstacles faced by liberals in their political pursuits, Haefner explores the development of local press that he considers to be a crucial factor in the development of nationalism. Despite the press advances in the Duma period, Haefner argues that the local societies of late imperial Russia failed to unite into a “national” society due to underdevelopment in social relations, economics and communications structure. The article is based upon a broad range of sources and introduces the reader into the local politics of a provincial city of the late imperial period. At the same time, this local politics is placed into a larger context of the crisis of the empire.