To satisfy by legal means the needs of all classes of society.

--A major promise of the Kadet
electoral program of 1905-06

The only hope remaining for escaping from this deep darkness
lies with our father-tsar and with our electors who go into the Duma
to champion peasant interests. --From a Peasant petition
January 1906

THE FIRST NATIONAL ELECTIONS in the history of modern Russia
were held in most regions of the country from the end of
February to the middle of April 1906. Although no exact figures
exist, probably twenty to twenty-five million citizens voted indi-
rectly to elect deputies to the State Duma, the first all-Russian
legislative assembly, and a much smaller number chose, by classes,
deputies to the State Council, all of whose members had previously
been appointive. Some thought they were voting for the tsar; many
believed they were voting for more land; and others were con-
vinced they were voting for freedom and for a new order for Russia.
The overwhelming majority voted against the existing system and
against the government, much to the latter's surprise and discom-
fiture. Yet to the credit of Witte and the government the elections
were conducted with considerable efficiency and with a minimum
of either disorder or government interference.

In letter the elections fulfilled the tsar's promise of October 17,
1905, to give most of the population representation in directing the
affairs of the country. In practice, as we shall see in the next chap-
ter, this pledge had been considerably undercut, even before the

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