M. M. Speransky and the Problem of the Committee of Ministers in the 1st Third of the 19th Century
https://doi.org/10.25205/1818-7919-2024-23-8-33-45
Abstract
M. M. Speransky’s reform projects and notes are integral to understanding the historical development of the Russian state in the early 19th century. They provide valuable insight into the functioning of the Russian Empire’s institutions and its modernization. These documents cover the whole range of socio-political, economic and institutional problems, strategic goals, tactical guidelines, the most important directions, successive and distinctive features of the transformative policy of the two reigns – Alexander I and Nicholas I, as well as give an idea of the specifics of reform activities of the managerial elite of this time. “A truly statesman”, Speransky was highly esteemed as a statesman by his peers due to his merging of theoretical expertise and practical administrative skills. This article delves into Speransky’s perspectives on the institutional status of the Committee of Ministers within the power structure of the Russian Empire in the first third of the 19th century. It illustrates that his viewpoint on the Committee’s role changed based on the reform program's objectives, domestic and foreign political contexts, and strategic goals. Initially, Speransky acknowledged the Committee's role in state administration, but later during the reign on Alexander I contemplated its abolition due to overlapping functions with the State Council and the Senate. Ultimately, he proposed its transformation and integration with the Committee of Ministers.
Keywords
Russia,
1st third of the 19th century,
M. M. Speransky,
Committee of Ministers,
projects of reform of state administration,
continuity in the governmental transformative policy
Supporting agencies: The research was carried out within the framework of the RSF grant no. 23-28-00769 “Documentary Memory of Russian Statehood: the Speransky Case. New Approaches to the Study of Handwritten Heritage”
About the Author
T. A. Andreeva
Saint Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Tatyana V. Andreeva, Doctor of Sciences (History)
WoS Researcher ID AAE-9846-2019
St. Petersburg
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Review
For citations:
Andreeva T.A. M. M. Speransky and the Problem of the Committee of Ministers in the 1st Third of the 19th Century. Vestnik NSU. Series: History and Philology. 2024;23(8):33-45. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.25205/1818-7919-2024-23-8-33-45
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