When abroad, citizens of the ussr enjoy the protection and assistance of the soviet state. The soviets of working peoples deputies, which grew and. Scarcely thirteen years separated the first federal constitution of the ussr, issued shortly after lenins death in january 1924, from the version that was adopted by the eighth extraordinary congress of soviets on december 5, 1936 and graced from the moment of its birth with stalins name. The constitution also reorganized the soviet government based on direct elections and reshaped the federal structure of the soviet union. The 1936 constitution of the soviet union, also known as the stalin constitution, was the. To enjoin the central executive committee of the union of soviet socialist republics to elect a constitution commission which shall be instructed to draw up an amended text of the constitution in accordance with the principles indicated in clause 1, and to submit it for approval to a session of the central executive committee of the union of. Stalin claimed this constitution was the fairest in the world. Upon its adoption in december 1936, soviet leaders hailed the new socalled stalin constitution as. Every citizen of a union republic is a citizen of the ussr. Scholars have long scoffed at this claim, noting that the mass repression of 19371938 that followed rendered it a hollow document. The soviets of working peoples deputies, which grew and attained strength as a result of the overthrow of the landlords and capitalists and the achievement of the. The adoption of the soviet constitution in this vulnerable period, therefore, is not coincidental, but conformed to the nations need to appease socioeconomic conflicts and to maintain resistant to future challenges. He insisted that the declaration that the ussr was fully socialist and moving toward communism was incorrect. Article 172 the capital of the union of soviet socialist republics is the city of moscow.
Constitutions of the soviet union wikimedia commons. Constitution fundamental law of the union of soviet socialist. Bearing in mind as its fundamental problem the abolition of exploitation of men by men, the entire abolition of the divi. The history of the communist party of the soviet union short course has a big section on the 1936 constitution and the writing of it. The 1936 constitution was essentially a way for stalin to make the soviet union appear more democratic in the eyes of the rest of the world, despite actually giving the communist party the real power. The soviets of working peoples deputies, which grew and attained strength as a result of the overthrow of the landlords and capitalists and the achievement of the dictatorship of the proletariat, constitute the political foundation of the u. Constitution fundamenta law l of the union of soviet socialist republics adopted at the extraordinary eight congresh of soviets s of th u. Constitution basic law of the union of socialist soviet. There were three versions of the constitution of the soviet union, modeled after the 1918 constitution established by the russian socialist federative soviet republic, the immediate predecessor. Citizens of the ussr focused on securing rights and privileges, often related to improving.
Pdf upon its adoption in december 1936, soviet leaders hailed the new socalled stalin. Comment according to interstate and international compacts, the russian federation is the legal successor of the russian soviet federative socialist republic and the union of soviet socialist republics. Uniform federal citizenship is established for the ussr. Intervention in the spanish civil war in some ways constituted the most extensive soviet military action since the close of the russian civil war in 192122 many more troops had been involved in the domestic campaigns against muslim rebels, who had finally been subdued by 1936, and more had also been used in the conquest of outer mongolia. The russian soviet republic is organized on the basis of a free union of free nations, as a federation of soviet national republics. The new constitution sweeps away many of the principles on which the soviet system was based, but it firmly establishes the onepartystate and declares the communist party of the soviet union now merely a bureaucratic machine to be the leading kernel of all organisations of the working people public as well as state ones cl. Participatory politics and the discussion of the draft 1936 constitution. What caused resistance to the 1936 soviet constitution. The highest organs of state authority of the union of soviet socialist republics chapter iv. The grounds and procedure for acquiring or forfeiting soviet citizenship are defined by the law on citizenship of the ussr. Soviet union former constitution, index page document table of contents. Your group will carefully read the attached excerpts from the 1936 constitution of the soviet union. Constitution fundamental law of the union of soviet socialist republics.
The soviet union is often characterised as nominally a federation, but really an empire, liable to break up when individual federal units, which were allegedly really subordinate colonial units. A brief research on 1936 soviet constitution under joseph stalin. The spanish civil war, the soviet union, and communism on jstor. Constitution of ussr museum of contemporary history 01 by shakko. Excerpts from the constitution of the union of soviet socialist republics 1936 directions. A constitution is supposed to spell out a system of government, so i dont understand what distinction youre trying to make.
In order to have a proper understanding of the concept, the analysis of the two varying concepts of constitution, as have been conceived by the western scholars. The 1936 constitution of the soviet union, also known as the stalin constitution, was the constitution of the soviet union adopted on 5 december 1936 the 1936 constitution was the second constitution of the soviet union and replaced the 1924 constitution, with 5 december being celebrated annually as soviet constitution day from its adoption by the congress of soviets. These events involve important political issues and disputes involving centerperiphery relations, articulation of class interests, and the unforeseen consequences of the regimes policies. Rightwing expansionism in the 1930s exemplified by the japanese invasion of manchuria, the italian invasion of ethiopia, and hitlers rise in germany prompted joseph stalin, leader of the soviet union, to seek better relations with the western democracies.
Department at vyatka state university, kirov, russia. The 1924 soviet constitution with additional articles on trade unions and social insurance in russia hx15. Constitution basic law of the union of socialist soviet republics draft, published for the committee of the congress of peace and friendship with the u. The supreme soviet of the ussr exercises all rights vested in the union of soviet socialist republics in accordance with article 14 of the constitution, in so far as they do not, by virtue of the constitution, come within the jurisdiction of organs of the ussr that are accountable to the supreme soviet of the ussr, that is, the presidium of the.
The state anthem of the union of soviet socialist republics is confirmed by the presidium of the supreme soviet of the ussr. The new soviet constitution 1936 marxists internet archive. The soviet socialist constitution by soviet union abebooks. When the civil war was won by the bolsheviks, the soviet union was founded in december 1922. Upon its adoption in december 1936, soviet leaders hailed the new socalled stalin constitution as the most democratic in the world. It is a device of measuring the extent of centralisation of a particular federal polity. The union of soviet socialist republics is a socialist state of workers and peasants.
In a marked departure from previous soviet political practice, a draft constitution was circulated beginning in june 1936, and the population was invited to take part in a nationwide discussion to propose. The stalin constitution seventeen moments in soviet history. Overview countries keys persons organizations links download synonyms. Stalin constitution seventeen moments in soviet history. In 1936 the soviets adopted a new constitution, reforming the soviet state and creating a number of new soviet socialist republics. Thus stalin is informed of the exact date of adoption of this constitution, about which the people still have practically no information. Citizens of the ussr focused on securing rights and privileges, often related to improving their. Forum index communist states union of soviet socialist republics article 12 of the 1936 soviet constitution go to page 1, 2 top more forums. In the meantime, stalin told the american interviewer roy howard, on march 1, 1936, that we shall probably adopt our new constitution at the end of this year. Part ix legal force and amendments article 173 the constitution of the ussr shall have supreme legal force. Trotsky was particularly hostile to the 1936 constitution. The union of soviet socialist republics is a socialist state of workers and.
Constitution of the soviet union 1936 wikisource, the. Soviet union, in full union of soviet socialist republics u. Pdf upon its adoption in december 1936, soviet leaders hailed the new so called stalin. Perspectives on federalism in the various constitutions 47 the levels. It is the purpose of this article to explore the reasons for the differing results in interpreting and applying similar fundamental rights in the soviet union and the united states. The stalin constitution 1 soviet union international politics. Aug 12, 2016 there were three versions of the constitution of the soviet union, modeled after the 1918 constitution established by the russian socialist federative soviet republic, the immediate predecessor. Soviet participatory politics and the discussion of the 1936 draft constitution.