Alexander Ivanovich Guchkov (October 14, 1862 - February 14, 1936) was a Russian politician, Chairman of the Duma and Minister of War in the Russian Provisional Government. A Duma (Ду́ма in Russian) is any of various representative assemblies in modern Russia and Russian history. ... State emblem of the Russian Provisional Government The Russian Provisional Government was formed in Petrograd after the deterioration of the Russian Empire and the tsars abdication. ...

Early years

Unlike most of conservative politicians of that time, Alexander Guchkov did not belong to Russian nobility. He was a reach capitalist, head of a huge insurance company. In october 1906 he became the head of the Union of October 17. By that time he was known mostly for certain hazardous enterprises which included volunteering for Boer army in the Boer war, where he was wounded and taken prisoner, and (again voluntary) taking care of Russian prisoners after the Battle of Mukden. He also fought on duels many times. The Octobrist Party (Russian Октябристы) was a non-revolutionary conservative-liberal Russian political party formally called Union Of October 17 (Союз 17 Октября). The partys program of moderate constitutionalism called for the fulfillment of the emperor Nicholas IIs October Manifesto granted at the peak of the Russian Revolution of 1905. ... Boer is the Afrikaans (and Dutch) word for farmer which came to denote the descendants of the Afrikaans-speaking migrating farmers of the expanding eastern Cape frontier. ... There were two Boer Wars: the First Boer War (1880-1881) the Second Boer War (1899-1902). ... The Battle of Mukden was the last major land battle of the Russo-Japanese War, fought from February 20 to March 10, Japan and Russia near Mukden in Manchuria. ...

1907-1912

43 Octobrists, Guchkov included, were elected in the Second State Duma in February, 1907. Guchkov supported Stolypin reform, including some controversial decisions of Stolypin's government, such as establishment of courts martial and dissolution of the second Duma, which resulted in conflict with some notable Octobrists (eg Pavel Ryabushinsky). After Stolypin's electoral reform Octobrists won elections in the Third Duma, gaining 133 seats. However, later Guchkov started criticizing certain officials, quarrelled with the Tzar and lost support of Stolypin. Both since that relied more on Black Hundreds and other ultra-right monarchists. In 1910 Guchkov was elected Chairman of the Duma, but a year after he resigned, another Octobrist, Mikhail Rodzyanko, taking this office. In spite of misunderstanding with Stolypin Guchkov continued to hold him in high esteem. After the assassination of Stolypin, he held a speech, in which he said, that without Stolypin "Russia got into swamp". Emblem commemorating the 100 year anniversary of Russia Dumas Boris Gryzlov, speaker of the Russian State Duma since December 2003 The State Duma (Russian: Государственная дума (Gosudarstvennaya Duma), common abbreviation: Госдума (Gosduma)) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia (legislature), the upper house being the Federation... Stolypin agrarian reforms are the agrarian reforms to Imperial Russias agricultural sector instituted during the tenure of Pyotr Stolypin as Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister). ... Pyotr Stolypin Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin (Russian: Пётр Арка́дьевич Столы́пин) (April 14 (April 2 Old Style) 1862 - September 14 (September 1 Old Style) 1911) served as Nicholas IIs Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) from 1906 to 1911. ... A Duma (Ду́ма in Russian) is any of various representative assemblies in modern Russia and Russian history. ... Nicholas II of Russia (6 May (O.S.)/18 May (N.S.) 1868 – 17 July 1918) (Russian: , Nikolaj II) was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland. ... The Union of the Russian People (Союз Русского Народа) was a black-hundredist Russia, formed in October of 1905 in St. ... A Duma (Ду́ма in Russian) is any of various representative assemblies in modern Russia and Russian history. ... Mikhail Vladimirovich Rodzianko (Russian: Михаи́л Влади́мирович Родзя́нко) (1859 – January 24, 1924) was a Russian politician. ...

Party crisis and WWI

In 1912 the Octobrists were defeated in elections to the Fourth Duma, losing over 30 seats. Guchkov in particular was defeated in his constituency in Moscow. The remaining Octobrists in Duma split into two fractions. By 1915 many local party branches and the main party newspaper "Voice of Moscow" ceased to exist. However, Guchkov by no means ceased political activity. With the outbreak of WWI he became the head of Military-Industrial Committee - an organization, created by industrial magnates in order to supply the army. In 1915 Guchkov was among the founders of Progressive Bloc, which demanded for establishing ministerial responsibility before the Duma. Nicholas II constantly refused to satisfy this demand, mostly due to adamant position of the Tzarina and Grigory Rasputin. Later Guchkov reported, that members of the Progressive Bloc would consider coup d'etat, but did not undertake any action. Actually, at that time everyone realized, that nothing was able to save the monarchy. It was Guchkov, along with Vasily Shulgin, who came to the army headquarters near Pskov and persuaded the Tzar to abduicate on March 2, 1917. A Duma (Ду́ма in Russian) is any of various representative assemblies in modern Russia and Russian history. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... WWI may be an acronym for: World War I World Wrestling Industry This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Progressive Bloc (Spanish: Bloque Progresista) is an electoral alliance in the Dominican Republic. ... Nicholas II of Russia (6 May (O.S.)/18 May (N.S.) 1868 – 17 July 1918) (Russian: , Nikolaj II) was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland. ... Alexandra and her daughters, Olga, Tatiana, Anastasia, and Maria, 1913 Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine (German: ) or Saint Alexandra, 6 June 1872 – 17 July 1918, under the title Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna (Russian: ), was Empress consort of Russia. ... Rasputin Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin (Russian: Григо́рий Ефи́мович Распу́тин) (January 23, 1871 – December 16, 1916 (O.S.)) was a Russian mystic with an influence in the later days of Russias Romanov dynasty. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... The Trinity Cathedral (1682-99) is a symbol of Pskovs former might and independence. ...

After revolution

After the February Revolution the Union of October 17 legally ceased to exist. Guchkov held the office of War Minister in the Russian Provisional Government until April 29. He was forced to resign after public unrest, caused by Milyukov's Note. Along with his fellow Mikhail Rodzyanko he continued to struggle for establishing of "strong government". He supported Lavr Kornilov and was arrested, when his coup d'etat attempt failed, but released the next day. After October revolution Guchkov provided financial support for the White Guard. When eventual defeat of White Guard became inevitable, he emigrated. He died in 1936 in Paris. See Revolutions of 1848 in France for the February 1848 French revolution. ... The Octobrist Party (Russian Октябристы) was a non-revolutionary conservative-liberal Russian political party formally called Union of October 17 (Союз 17 Октября). The partys program of moderate constitutionalism called for the fulfillment of Emperor Nicholas IIs October Manifesto granted at the peak of the Russian Revolution of 1905. ... State emblem of the Russian Provisional Government The Russian Provisional Government was formed in Petrograd after the deterioration of the Russian Empire and the tsars abdication. ... Mikhail Vladimirovich Rodzianko (Russian: Михаи́л Влади́мирович Родзя́нко) (1859 – January 24, 1924) was a Russian politician. ... Lavr Georgiyevich Kornilov (Russian: Лавр Георгиевич Корнилов) (1870-1918) was a Russian army general best known for the Kornilov Affair, an unsuccessful military coup he staged against Kerenskys Provisional Government during the 1917 Russian Revolution. ... The October Revolution, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution or November Revolution, was the second phase of the Russian Revolution of 1917, the first having been instigated by the events around the February Revolution. ... The White movement, whose military arm is known as the White Army (Белая Армия) or White Guard (Белая Гвардия, белогвардейцы) and whose members are known as Whites (Белые, or the derogatory Беляки) or White Russians (a term which has other meanings) comprised some of the Russian forces, both political and military, which opposed the Bolsheviks after the... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur Tossed by the waves, she does not founder Coordinates : , Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) Administration Subdivisions 20 arrondissements Département Paris (75) Région ÃŽle-de-France Mayor Bertrand Delanoë (PS) City (commune) Characteristics Land Area 86. ...

Memoirs

• Alexander Ivanovich Guchkov rasskazyvaet -- Vospominaniya predsedatelya Gosudarstvennoj dumy i voennogo ministra Vremennogo pravitel'stva, Moscow, TOO Red. zhurnala "Voprosy istorii", 1993, ISBN 5863970014, 143p.

References

• Alexander Sergeevich Senin. Alexander Ivanovich Guchkov, Moscow, Skriptoriy, 1996, 263p.
• William Ewing Gleason. Alexander Guchkov and the end of the Russian Empire, Philadelphia, American Philosophical Society, 1983, ISBN 0871697335 90p.