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Michael Vassilievich Rodzianko

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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"MICHAEL VASSILIEVICH RODZIANKO (1859-), Russian politician, was born in 1859 and belonged to a family of great landowners. At the age of 19 he joined the Horse Guards, but he soon resigned and retired to his large estates in the government of Novgorod. He took an active part in local life and was also a member of the conferences of Zemstova and Towns. In 1905 he was elected member of the First Duma and was reelected at all subsequent elections. He joined the right wing of the Octobrist (Moderate Liberal) party, and with the support of the Conservatives was elected president of the Third Duma after the resignation of A. Guchkov in March 1911. Later he was reelected p resident of the Fourth Duma, and took an important Xxxil-I O part in the struggle for constitutional changes in the Government of Russia. He strongly opposed the reactionary policy of the Imperial Government, and always defended the rights and privileges of the Duma. By the force of events Rodzianko was placed at the head of the national movement at the moment of the revolution, and, as president of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma, he sent a telegram to the Tsar pointing out the necessity of his abdication. But he had no real influence on the course of the revolution. He played for some time a purely decorative role, receiving telegrams of congratulation and delivering speeches, but he soon disappeared from the stage. After the Bolshevist revolution, he made his way to the south of Russia, where he took part in different anti-Bolshevist organizations and bodies. Later he emigrated to Germany.