The last attempt to save the empire of the Romanovs
The program of P. A. Stolypin was not exhausted by the fundamental reforms of the Russian countryside. Of great importance were measures aimed at improving the living standards of workers and the introduction of state insurance. For Stolypin it was very important that when he got from the village to the city, the worker would immediately fall into a normal environment and settle in it. Therefore, much attention was paid to measures aimed at improving the welfare of workers, to protect their rights, so that there would be no harassment from employers. As a result, many skilled workers then recalled the years before the war as blessed times. Thus arose the myth of the wonderful life of the working class “with the king” (it concerned the skilled, small number of this class).
Pyotr Arkadyevich also worked on the reform of local self-government, the reform of the judicial system, the development of the zemstvos in the western provinces. All of them were aimed at protecting the personal rights of citizens, their property. Citizens of the Russian Empire received the right to defend their opinions, their rights, property. These reforms included laws on freedom of religion and personal integrity, on the abolition of restrictions on rights for certain categories of citizens. In fact, freedom of faith was proclaimed, which was of great importance for Russia, where the Old Believers were oppressed and Jews were restricted.
Stolypin understood that these two separate "worlds" - the Old Believers and the Jews, threaten to blow up the country. In particular, many young Jews who were infringed on their rights went to revolutionary parties, and their percentage among the revolutionaries was very high. As Stolypin himself noted: “... it is necessary to raise the question of the abolition in law of some almost unnecessary restrictions on Jews, who particularly annoy the Jewish population of Russia and, without making any real benefit to the Russian population, [...] only nourish the Jewish revolutionary mood masses ”(Kokovtsov V.N. From my past. Memoirs of 1903 — 1919. Kn. 1. - M .: Nauka, 1992). The Old Believers were in a similar situation, who with hard work created national capital and financed the revolutionary movement in the country.
Thus, Stolypin wanted to “pacify” two social groups that were revolutionary in their attitude towards the Romanov empire. To direct their enormous energy, accumulated over a long time, to a constructive, peaceful course, and not to the revolution, as happened in reality.
In addition, Stolypin tried to destroy the "springboard of the revolution" in Finland and Russify the Grand Duchy, to make part of a single empire. The Grand Duchy of Finland was a special region of the Russian Empire and had a wide autonomy from the central government, which was used by revolutionaries. Stolypin marked 5 in May 1908: “revolutionaries who crossed the border found themselves in Finland, in the territory of the Russian empire, the most reliable shelter, much more reliable than in neighboring states, which willingly come to the aid of our Russian the police. ” In 1908, he ensured that Finnish matters affecting the interests of Russia were dealt with in the Council of Ministers. 17 June 1910, Tsar Nicholas II approved the law “On the procedure for issuing laws and decrees of national importance relating to Finland” developed by the Stolypin government, which significantly reduced the Finnish autonomy and strengthened the role of the central government in Finland.
Thus, the most important affairs of Stolypin in domestic policy became the agrarian reform, a complex of reforms that were supposed to remove internal social and national contradictions, establish civil peace, strengthen the Russification of national suburbs. In the center of all reforms was the agrarian reform, which was supposed to solve the main and old problem of Russia - the peasant question. Stolypin understood that without a radical revolution in the peasant mass (the main part of the empire's population), mainly the carrier of the Russian “matrix” culture, the Romanov empire could not be saved, it could not be returned to its own civilizational path (the project of Holy Russia, Grada Kitezh). Peasants should be interested in the development of the empire, which will give Russia a new impetus in politics, culture and economy.
Stolypin also showed an understanding of the Great Game. He was the main opponent of the union of Russia with France, and especially England, our long-time enemy. Peter Arkadyevich understood that the interests of Russia and England diverged in the most fundamental way. The British were our main geopolitical adversaries both in Europe and in Asia, constantly setting neighbors on us. They often used the Russians as "cannon fodder", solving their strategic tasks. In particular, during the wars with Napoleon. At the beginning of the XX century, the British tried to pit the Russians with the Germans. The German Empire, showing amazing results in the development of the economy and the armed forces (especially fleet), challenged the British Empire. German goods were crowded with English around the world, and the German fleet in the future could become stronger than the British. In London, they feared that Germany would lead Europe. Therefore, England began to support the anti-German attitude of France, which longed for revenge for the defeat of 1870-1871. And France had an alliance agreement with Russia. With the alliance of the Russians with the British and French, the collapse of Europe into two hostile blocs and a serious clash between them became inevitable. Thus, Western Europe quickly went to a big war.
Russia in its condition to get involved in such a war was categorically impossible. It was much more reasonable to find a common language with Germany. The German Empire was our most important trading partner, the market for agricultural products and the source of technology, equipment and machinery. In addition, Berlin during the clash between Russia and Japan clearly showed signs of attention, showed readiness for friendship and a strategic alliance. This axis, Berlin - Petersburg, solved the most important strategic tasks. Firstly, it was more difficult for Britain and France to unleash a big war. Having lost the Russian “cannon fodder”, French and British strategists thought a hundred times whether it was worth starting a war with a powerful Second Reich?
Secondly, Russia received a powerful rear in Western Europe and could take on internal problems and affairs in the East. If the Russian Empire had avoided the trap of a big war, it would have won the time Stolypin talked about: “Give the 20 state years of peace, both internal and external, and you will not recognize present-day Russia.”
Thus, Peter Arkadyevich was a tough supporter of the peaceful line in foreign policy. Russia should have avoided getting involved in big conflicts, gaining time for internal strengthening and transformation, engaging in the suppression of the virus of the revolution, its economy and population. Considering the burden of the problems accumulated during the reign of the Romanovs, a big war for the empire was suicide. Stolypin understood this very well. As well as the desire of the masters of the West at any price to draw Russia into such a war, confront the German Empire, and solve their problems at the expense of the Russians and Germans, destroy the main geopolitical rivals.
In the summer of 1911, Stolypin propitiously remarked: “... England ... considering itself the first power of the world and striving to always play the first violin in an international concert, no doubt, fears that Russia, constantly improving its economic and military situation, does not prevent to her in her colonial politics. Most of all, Britain fears that Russia does not penetrate into India, although Russia has no desire to seize India ... England cannot but feel that the exploitation of countries like India and others may end sooner or later, and then it will not only not will play the first violin ... but will cease to be the great empire that is at this time. therefore England hates Russia more than anyone and will sincerely rejoice if the monarchy falls in Russia some day, and Russia itself will no longer be a great state and will fall into a whole number of independent republics ... There is neither love, nor respect in France for Russia, but at the same time France, hating and fearing Germany, quite naturally seeks to be associated with Russia by military alliances and treaties ”(S. Rybas. Stolypin. M., 2009) .
Everything will happen, as Peter Arkadyevich suggested. In the First World War, our "partners" - the British and French, will use the Russians as "cannon fodder", fight the Germans "until the last Russian soldier." When there is a strategic turnaround in the war, the French and British, who from the very beginning were not going to share the fruits of the common victory with Russia, will support the revolutionary impulse of the top of the Russian Empire (the “feminists”), who will overthrow the autocracy. Then the Western "allies" will support the collapse of the Russian state to the mass of the new "independent" states in 1917-1918, and only the Bolsheviks will thwart the plans of the Western masters for the complete disintegration and destruction of Russian civilization.
Therefore, Stolypin advocated a sensible alliance with Germany, so that Russia, keeping its position in the West, would internally strengthen and go to the East, where they could sell their goods. The scope for activity was enormous - Persia, Mongolia, Korea, China, Japan, etc. Stolypin was a supporter of the Russian national policy on the world stage. He did not want the Russians to be used as “cannon fodder”.
However, the last attempt to save the Romanov empire failed. Stolypin had no historical time, he was disturbed by both revolutionaries, liberals, masons, and conservatives. And most importantly - Peter Arkadyevich spoke out against the very logic of the development of the “Third Rome” project. He tried to save a society that could not, and did not want to be saved. Moreover, the main driving forces of the empire - the pro-Western ruling elite (political, military, administrative, financial and industrial elite), the Russian bourgeoisie, both pro-Western and national (Old Believers), the liberal intelligentsia, the peasantry, revolutionaries and nationalists of all stripes, opposed autocracy. Stolypin in Russia acted as "one soldier in the field." He did a lot, but could not save the empire.
Peter Stolypin could still delay the inevitable for some time. For this it was necessary to keep the Russian Empire from entering the war against Germany. It was a chance. However, the masters of the West also saw and understood everything perfectly. Stolypin eliminated. They tried to kill him more than once, but fate kept the great Russian statesman. 1 September 1911 of the year, a mortal terrorist wounded Stolypin. September 4 Peter Arkadevich died.
To be continued ...
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