The Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was the government of Soviet Russia from November 1917 to March 1946. It was established by the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers', Soldiers', and Peasants' Deputies on November 9, 1917 "as an interim workers' and peasants' government" under the name of the Council of People's Commissars,Decree on the Formation of the Council of People's Commissars which was used before the adoption of the Constitution of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic of 1918.
Since 1918, the formation of the Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic was the prerogative of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee,The Constitution of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic of 1918: "The All-Russian Central Executive Committee of Soviets forms the Council of People's Commissars for the general management of the affairs of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and departments (People's Commissariats) for the management of individual branches of government". and since 1937, the Supreme Council of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. The Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was formed from the people's commissars – the leaders of the People's Commissariats of Soviet Russia – headed by the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Similar Councils of People's Commissars were created in other Soviet republics.
By the law of the Soviet Union of March 15, 1946The Law of the Soviet Union of March 15, 1946 "On the Transformation of the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union into the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union and the Councils of People's Commissars of the Union and Autonomous Republics – into Councils of Ministers of the Union and Autonomous Republics" // Vedomosti of the Supreme Council of the Soviet Union: Collection – 1946 – No. 10 and the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic of March 23 of the same year,"The Supreme Bodies of State Power and Central Government Bodies of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1917–1967). Handbook (Based on Materials From State Archives)" (Prepared by the Central State Archive of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic), Chapter I, Section "Government of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic" the Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was transformed into the Council of Ministers of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
Origin of name In his memoirs, Leon Trotsky ascribes the name "Council of People's Commissars" to himself.Evgeny Guslyarov. Lenin in Life. A Systematic Set of Memoirs of Contemporaries, Documents of the Era, Versions of Historians, OLMA–PRESS, 2004, According to the memoirs of Vladimir Milyutin, the name "People's Commissar" was proposed by Trotsky, and Kamenev proposed the government as the "Council of People's Commissars". Some have also claimed that the authorship of the term was first coined by Vladimir Antonov-Ovseyenko.The Bitter Bread of Twenty People's Commissars and Ministers
At the same time, from Lenin's notes written no later than October 25, 1917:
It follows that the name "commissars" (etymologically "the heads of commissions"), as a replacement for the term "ministers", even earlier appeared in the outline of the organization of a new apparatus of government of the future head of the Council of People's Commissars. In the same document, it was planned to create other central government bodies in the rank of commissions (commissions of a revolutionary order, commissions of legislative assumptions, and a number of commissions in various branches of the state life of the country).Albert Nenarokov. (Editor) "The First Soviet Government. October 1917 – July 1918". Moscow. Political Publishing House, 1991.
History
Provisional Workers' and Peasants' Government Immediately before the seizure of power on the day of the revolution, the Central Committee of the Bolsheviks instructed Kamenev and Berzin to make political contact with the Left Socialist Revolutionaries and begin negotiations with them on the composition of the future government. During the work of the Second Congress of Soviets, the Bolsheviks proposed that the Left Socialist Revolutionaries enter the government, but they refused. The factions of the Right Socialist Revolutionaries and Mensheviks left the Second Congress of Soviets at the very beginning of its work – before the formation of the government. The Bolsheviks were forced to form a one-party government.(Doctor of Historical Sciences Agdas Burganov). Scientific Work, Page 27
The Council of People's Commissars was formed in accordance with the "Decree on the Establishment of the Council of People's Commissars" adopted by the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies on October 27, 1917 (O.S.). The decree began with the words:
An Attempt at All-Socialist Government
Negotiation in November
In connection with the demarche of the executive committee of the railway trade union, Vikzhel, who did not recognize the October Revolution, and demanded the formation of a "homogeneous socialist government" of representatives of all socialist parties, the post of People's Commissar of Rail Affairs remained unsubstituted.
The Mensheviks, SRs, and Bolsheviks failed to reach an agreement in December 1917 to form a coalition administration.
Left SRs-Bolsheviks Coalition
In December, Six representatives from the Left SR entered the government, They are
Andrei Kolegayev, People's Commissar of Agriculture Isaac Steinberg, People's Commissar of Justice Prosh Proshian, People's Commissar of Post and Telegraph Vladimir Trutovsky, People's Commissar of Local Government Vladimir Karelin, People's Commissar of State Property Mikhail Algasov, People's Commissar without Portfolio
Formal Government of RSFSR
Subsequently, in January 1918, the Bolsheviks managed to split the railway union by forming the Vikzhedor Executive Committee parallel to Vikzhel, which consisted mainly of Bolsheviks and Left Socialist Revolutionaries. By March 1918, Vikzhel's resistance was finally broken, and the main powers of both Vikzhel and Vikzhedor were transferred to the People's Commissariat of Railways.
The Council of People's Commissars lost the character of an interim governing body after the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly, which was legislated by the Constitution of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic of 1918. The All-Russian Central Executive Committee received the right to form the Council of People's Commissars; the Council of People's Commissars was the general management body for the affairs of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic authorized to issue decrees, and the All-Russian Central Executive Committee was entitled to cancel or suspend any decision or decision of the Council of People's Commissars.
The issues considered by the Council of People's Commissars were decided by a simple majority of votes. The meetings were attended by members of the government, chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, executive manager and secretaries of the Council of People's Commissars, representatives of departments.
End of the Left SRs-Bolsheviks Coalition
Bolsheviks' One-Party Government The permanent working body of the Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic was the Department of Affairs, which prepared questions for meetings of the Council of People's Commissars and its standing commissions, and received delegations. The staff of the executive administration in 1921 consisted of 135 people (according to the Central State Archive of the October Revolution of the Soviet Union).The Central State Archive of the October Revolution of the Soviet Union, Fund 130, Inventory 25, Case 2, Sheets 19–20
By the law of the Soviet Union of March 15, 1946 and the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic of March 23, 1946, the Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was transformed into the Council of Ministers of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. On March 18, the last decree of the government of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was issued with the name "Council of People's Commissars". On February 25, 1947, the corresponding amendments were made to the Constitution of the Soviet Union, and on March 13, 1948, the Constitution of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
Legislative framework of the Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic According to the Constitution of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic of July 10, 1918, the activities of the Council of People's Commissars consisted of: Management of the general affairs of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic; The management of individual branches of management (Articles 35, 37); The promulgation of legislative acts and the adoption of measures "necessary for the correct and rapid course of public life" (Article 38).
The Council of People's Commissars informed the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of all decisions and decisions adopted (Article 39), which had the right to suspend and annul a resolution or decision of the Council of People's Commissars (Article 40).
It was created 18 people's commissariats.The text of the Constitution mistakenly indicates 17, and in the list presented in Article 43, there are 18 of them
The following is a list of People's Commissariats of the Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic according to the Constitution of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic of July 10, 1918:"The Constitution (Basic Law) of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic" (adopted by the 5th All-Russian Congress of Soviets on July 10, 1918) Of Foreign Affairs; Of Military Affairs; Of Maritime Affairs; Of Domestic Affairs; Justice; Labour; Social Security; Enlightenment; Mail and Telegraphs; Of National Affairs; Of Financial Affairs; Ways of Communication; Agriculture; Trade and Industry; Food; State Control; Supreme Council of the National Economy; Health Care.
At each people's commissar and under his chairmanship, a collegium was formed, the members of which were approved by the Council of People's Commissars (Article 44).
The People's Commissar had the right to single-handedly make decisions on all issues under the jurisdiction of the commissariat led by him, bringing them to the attention of the board (Article 45).
With the formation of the Soviet Union in December 1922 and the creation of an all-Union government, the Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic became the executive and administrative body of state power of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic. The organization, composition, competence and procedure of the Council of People's Commissars were determined by the Constitution of the Soviet Union of 1924 and the Constitution of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic of 1925. From that moment, the composition of the Council of People's Commissars was changed in connection with the transfer of a number of powers to the Union departments. 11 republican people's commissariats were established: Domestic Trade; Labour; Finance; Workers and Peasants Inspection; Internal Affairs; Justice; Enlightenment; Health Care; Agriculture; Social Security; Supreme Council of the National Economy.