Open AccessThe Disintegration of the Russian Empire during the First World War on the Example of the Influence of the Latvian National Factor
Author(s) -
O. Kyrychenko
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
problemi vsesvìtnʹoï ìstorìï
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2707-6776
DOI - 10.46869/2707-6776-2019-8-3
Subject(s) - latvian , elite , empire , national identity , political science , national question , democracy , modernization theory , government (linguistics) , public administration , national government , economic history , political economy , law , sociology , history , nationalism , politics , philosophy , linguistics
The article outlines the 1914-1918 discussion on establishing national autonomies in the nonRussian regions of the Empire when the First World War made the national question extremely urgentboth for the central government and national elite; analyses the activity of Latvian nationaldemocratic leaders for solving the national question in their respective regions. Many representativesof the Latvian elite chose to Russify, but others, nationally oriented, became carries of the emerging national identity of their people, leading the national movement for self-determination. The electedNational Land Councils started corresponding reforms, while the Bolsheviks who were also present in these Councils made efforts to undermine the creation of autonomies. The dissolution of theConstituent Assembly in January, 1918 marked the end of the hopes for national autonomies within the Russian Democratic Federal Republic.