ELECTIONS
The 1940 elections are just 4 months away and planning is now underway! There are in fact two elections that will take play in April of 1940 – the first to elect the next President of Russia, and the second to elect all 450 members of the Duma. Excitement all around!
To familiarize yourself with Russian politics and the political situation please see here (
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showpost.php?p=10482489&postcount=32) and here (
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showpost.php?p=10518450&postcount=206).
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
The President is the single most important person in Russia and has the broad power to direct domestic and foreign policy. Here are the candidates for the post:
Nikolai Yezhov (Blood and Fatherland)
Yezhov served briefly in the Russian Army and then in the Red Army during the Civil War. Since then he had made a career in Russia’s Intelligence Agency, becoming a promising young operative. He rose to the forefront of Russian politics when he emerged as one of the leaders of a young nationalist movement that advocated for a strong, expansionist Russia but at the same time cut off all ties to the Tsarist past.
Dmitri Romanov (Conservative)
Grand Duke Romanov is not the head of the Romanov family (Vladimir Romanov is) but he is the most politically active of the former Imperial family. He does not directly advocate for a restoration of the Monarchy, but some fear that he would move in that direction if elected. Primarily he is seen as the leader of the wealthy landed elite and the aristocrats who still cling to what power they have left, and some believe that he would work to further the interests of that class rather than of the country as a whole.
Vasily Maklakov (Constitutional Democrat)
The Kadets had a difficult choice in nominating a candidate. On one hand Smirnov is the clear leader of the party, but on the other hand he is quite inept at politics. In the end Maklakov was chosen as a candidate. A lifelong liberal politician he is full of liberal elitism and has trouble connecting with ordinary people, but he is an exceptional jurist and emphasizes economic growth and prosperity as the key goals moving forward.
Viktor Chernov (Social Revolutionary)
The incumbent President he suffers from being too “academic” and not political enough. He has a brilliant mind but everyday people are not impressed by philosophical discussions about the nature of social justice. Still, he is a champion of social justice and has a record of four years during which he has accomplished more than Kerensky had in the previous two decades.
Nikolai Bukharin (Menshevik)
Bukharin is a true populist and a great political operative. Everyone expected Irakli Tsereteli to be the nominee, but Bukharin convinced Tsereteli of a need for a broad lifet-wing coalition and, of course, the need to nominate Bukharin. He comes with the stain of being a former Bolshevik, but he is apparently “reformed” and now is pushing for a radical leftist agenda of worker empowerment and wealth redistribution.
LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS
The Duma is not as important as the President, but it still controls almost all national legislation and will limit what kind of policies the President can implement.
Blood and Fatherland
A coalition of former and current military men, supposedly supported by Peter Wrangel. These men advocate a strong state that can control the society and the economy, and aggressive expansion abroad. Unfortunately, while they may be patriots, they do not appear to have a significant constituency outside the officer corps.
Conservatives
A loose coalition of politicians who hold conservative views. It includes Monarchists, landowners led by Vladimir Purishkevich, and aristocrats such as Nikolai Trubetskoy. In general these men support policies that benefit them – extending Russian access to resources abroad, divesting power to local organizations they can dominate, and keeping workers from organizing. Unfortunately for the Conservatives their power is waning fast as a new bureaucracy takes a hold of the country.
Union of October 17
With the deaths of Rodzianko and Guchkov the party has lost a lot of its unity and appeal. Formerly a party that advocated for reform to set up a Constitutional Monarchy it now finds itself in a position where it is, at least in name, Monarchist, which puts it far right of center of Russian politics, but advocating domestic policies that nobody on the right supports. Still, it is an attractive choice for liberal aristocrats and upper classes that balk at the nearly reactionary policies of some Conservative politicians.
Constitutional Democrats
The death of Pavel Milyukov left the Kadets without a real political leader. Smirnov is the ideological leader of the party that cherishes individual liberty and market economics, but he is unpopular. Market economics appeals to the growing business class in Russia and the hawkish foreign policy advocated by the Kadets gives them some support across most urban constituencies. Outside of the cities though the party has almost no support.
Social Revolutionaries
Chernov and Tereshchenko are both relatively popular figures and the party’s primary issue of social justice appeals to workers and other middle and lower class people. This party can point to real accomplishments while in office, giving it more credibility, and is by far the best recognized name across the country. It struggles in rural areas where literacy rates are low and the peasants have a hard time with understanding the party’s platform.
Mensheviks
The names tuck after the Civil War even though the Bolsheviks no longer exist. They are an outright socialist party which supports worker’s rights, land and wealth redistribution, etc. It is strong in major industrial cities where the worker’s unions provide a bulk share of its votes, but it is hard pressed when competing with SRs for the more moderate voters.
WHAT YOU CAN (AND SHOULD) DO
You can, and should, express a preference for your candidate and party. That alone, however, won’t do too much. What you need to do is create a platform and election strategy for your candidates, including things like what the candidates promise, where they should campaign, what issues they should focus on, etc.
In addition, everyone, but especially those of you who don’t support a specific party, can write up your analysis of what is going on. Which party you expect to gain/lose ground in places and why, what issues you believe to be the most relevant and why, etc.
All of these things combined will determine who wins the elections.
ELECTIONS ARE OVER LATE TOMORROW EVENING. SO DON’T DELAY TOO LONG.