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The Council of the People's Commissars (Russian: Совет народных коммиссаров, translit. Soviet Narodnykh Kommissarov), was the highest government authority under the Bolshevik system after the success of the Russian Revolution.

[edit] Origin

By September 1917, the councils (soviets) of workers, peasants and soldiers acquired considerable political and military power. The leaders of the Petrograd Soviet conspired to overthrow the Russian Provisional Government; the uprising started on 7 November 1917, when Red Guards units captured the Winter Palace. On the next day, 8 November 1917, the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets recognized the success of the uprising, and formally established the new government that reflected the capture of the soviets by the Bolsheviks.

The government was formally called the Council of People's Commissars (Совет народных коммиссаров), abbreviated as Sovnarkom (совнарком). It was Leon Trotsky who devised the council name, thereby avoiding the more "bourgeois" terms, minister and cabinet.

The People's Commissars (Russian: Народный комиссар, tr.: Narodny komissar, or Narkom) functioned as government ministers; a ministry was therefore called called a People's Commissariat (Russian: Народный комиссариат, tr.: Narodny komissariat, abbreviated to narkomat).

[edit] Formation

An early Sovnarkom decree, introducing the "Western European calendar" in Russia. According to the decree, January 31, 1918 (Old style) was to be followed by February 14, 1918 (New style)

Traditionally, a government is a council of ministers nominated by a ruler or by a president, but the Bolsheviks saw this as a bourgeois institution, and wanted to create what they thought a new government of workers and peasants, a 'soviet' government.

The role and structure of the Sovnarkom was formalized in the 1918 Constitution of the RSFSR. The Sovnarkom of the RSFSR was responsible to the Congress of Soviets for the "general administration of the affairs of the state." The constitution enabled the Sovnarkom to issue decrees carrying the full force of law when the Congress was not in session. The Congress then routinely approved these decrees at its next session.

Each People's Commissar was head of commissariat and had several deputies and a collegium which functioned as a deliberative body to advise the commissar.

The Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, also elected by the Congress, had a function similar to that of a prime minister. The first Chairman of the Sovnarkom was Vladimir Lenin.

[edit] The Original People's Commissars

The first council elected by the Second All-Russian congress was composed as follows:

[edit] All-Union Sovnarkom

Upon the creation of the USSR in 1922, the Union's government was modelled after the first Sovnarkom. The Soviet republics retained their own governments which dealt with domestic matters.

[edit] Sovmin

In 1946, the Sovnarkoms were replaced by Councils of Ministers at both All-Union and republic level.

[edit] See also

• Council of Ministers
• Government of the Soviet Union
• Government of Russia

• Lev Kamenev
• October Revolution
• Russian Revolution (1917)

[edit] External links

• The Consul General at Moscow (Summers) to the Secretary of State
• The decree of the Council of the People's Commissars on the ...
• Conditions in Russia, by William H. King, senator

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