Social Aspect of the Russian Conservatives Ideology in the Beginning of the 20th Century
The article examines the social aspect of the Russian monarchist ideology in the beginning of the 20th century. The Rights considered that to preserve the traditional political system it was necessary to preserve also the traditional social system based on the society class division. In truth, giving in to the spirit of time, they resigned the class hierarchy supporting the class openness (thus, recognizing the necessity of society horizontal mobility channels) and intended to place on the class self-government authorities the functions of social representation, thus anticipating the ideas of pluralistic democracy that appeared in the West half a century later. The social program of the Rights failed to attract mass social groups, first of all workers and peasants, that was explained, on the one hand, by populism of their political opponents, who didn't doubt to resort to social demagogy, and, on the other hand, by the frugality of the promises of the Rights, who followed the tactics of “small deeds” borrowed from the Narodniks and aimed at gradual improvement of the conditions of the people. In general, the monarchists failed to block the propagation of liberal and socialist ideas in Russian society and that became the main reason for their catastrophic defeat in 1917.