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{{Short description|Legislative election in the Soviet Union}}{{Infobox election
{{Short description|Legislative election in the Soviet Union}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1937 Soviet Union legislative election
| election_name = 1937 Soviet Union legislative election
| country = Soviet Union
| country = Soviet Union
| flag_year = 1936
| flag_year = 1936
| type = parliamentary
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| ongoing = no
Line 9: Line 10:
| next_election = 1946 Soviet Union legislative election
| next_election = 1946 Soviet Union legislative election
| next_year = 1946
| next_year = 1946
| seats_for_election = All 1,143 seats in the [[Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union|Soviet Supreme Soviet]]
| seats_for_election = All 1,143 seats in the [[Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union|Supreme Soviet]]
| election_date = {{nowrap|12 December 1937}}
| election_date = {{nowrap|12 December 1937}}


<!-- Communist Party -->
<!-- Communist Party -->| image1 = [[File:Stalin Full Image.jpg|100px]]
| image1 = [[File:Stalin 1945.jpg|100px]]
| leader1 = [[Joseph Stalin]]
| leader1 = [[Joseph Stalin]]
| colour1 = D40000
| colour1 = D40000
| party1 = [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|VKP(b)]]
| party1 = [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|VKP(b)]]
| alliance1 = [[Bloc of Communists and Non-Partisans|BKB]]
| leader_since1 = 21 January 1924
| leader_since1 = 21 January 1924
| seats1 = 870
| seats1 = 870
| seat_change1 =
| seat_change1 =
⚫
| party2 = Independent politician
| percentage1 = 76.1%
| alliance2 = [[Bloc of Communists and Non-Partisans|BKB]]
⚫
| party2 = Independent politician
| seats2 = 273
| seats2 = 273
⚫
| title = Chairman of the Council of Ministers
| percentage2 = 23.9%
⚫
| title= Chairman of the Council of Ministers
| before_election = [[Vyacheslav Molotov]]
| before_election = [[Vyacheslav Molotov]]
| before_party = Communist Party of the Soviet Union
| before_party = Communist Party of the Soviet Union
| after_election = [[Vyacheslav Molotov]]
| after_election = [[Vyacheslav Molotov]]
| after_party = Communist Party of the Soviet Union
| after_party = Communist Party of the Soviet Union
}}
}}


'''Elections to the Supreme Soviet''' were held in the [[Soviet Union]] on 12 December 1937.<ref name=NS>[[Dieter Nohlen]] & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p1642 {{ISBN|978-3-8329-5609-7}}</ref> It was the first election held under the [[1936 Soviet Constitution]], which had formed the [[Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union]] to replace the old legislature, the [[Congress of Soviets of the Soviet Union]].
Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the [[Soviet Union]] on 12 December 1937.<ref name=NS>[[Dieter Nohlen]] & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p1642 {{ISBN|978-3-8329-5609-7}}</ref> It was the first election held under the [[1936 Soviet Constitution]], which had formed the [[Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union]] to replace the old legislature, the [[Congress of Soviets of the Soviet Union]].

==Background==
On 11 December, on the eve of the election, [[Joseph Stalin]] gave a speech to voters in Moscow's [[Bolshoi Theatre]], greeted by a loud ovation lasting for several minutes with cries of "Long live great Stalin, Hurrah!" "Hurrah for Comrade Stalin, the creator of the Soviet Constitution, the most democratic in the world!" "Long live Comrade Stalin, leader of the oppressed throughout the world, Hurrah!" In his speech Stalin said that

<blockquote>Comrades, to tell you the truth, I had no intention of making a speech. But our respected [[Nikita Sergeyevich]] dragged me to this meeting by sheer force, so to speak...Of course, one can make a light sort of speech about everything and nothing...I have been nominated as candidate, and the Election Commission of the Stalin District of the Soviet capital has registered my candidature. This, comrades, is an expression of great confidence...For my part, I would like to assure you, comrades, that you may safely rely on Comrade Stalin...You may take it for granted that Comrade Stalin will be able to discharge his duty to the people (applause ), to the working class (applause ), to the peasantry (applause ) and to the intelligentsia. (Applause.)...The forthcoming elections are not merely elections, comrades, they are really a national holiday of our workers, our peasants and our intelligentsia. Never in the history of the world have there been such really free and really democratic elections -- never! History knows no other example like it...our universal elections will be carried out as the freest elections and the most democratic compared with elections in any other country in the world.
Universal elections exist and are also held in some capitalist countries, so-called democratic countries. But in what atmosphere are elections held there? In an atmosphere of class conflicts, in an atmosphere of class enmity...Here [in the Soviet Union] elections are held in an atmosphere of collaboration between the workers, the peasants and the intelligentsia, in an atmosphere of mutual confidence between them, in an atmosphere, I would, say, of mutual friendship...our elections are the only really free and really democratic elections in the whole world...The work is directed by men and women of the people. That is what we call Socialism in practice. In our fields the tillers of the land work without landlords and without [[kulaks]]. The work is directed by men and women of the people. That is what we call Socialism in daily life, that is what we call a free, socialist life...I would like you, comrades, to exercise systematic influence on your deputies, to impress upon them that they must constantly keep before them the great image of the great Lenin and imitate Lenin in all things."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J846RnLbts Stalin Soviet Elections Speech 1937]</ref><ref>Joseph Stalin, "[https://web.archive.org/web/20170321042607/http://www.marx2mao.com/Stalin/SS37.html Speech Delivered by J.V. Stalin at a Meeting of Voters of the Stalin Electoral District, Moscow]," From the Pamphlet Collection, J. Stalin, Speeches Delivered at Meetings of Voters of the Stalin Electoral District, Moscow, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow, 1950, p. 7-18.</ref></blockquote>


==Electoral system==
==Electoral system==
The elections were originally announced as being multi-candidate; however, by halfway through the year the announcement was reversed due to the distrust of the leadership during the [[Great Purge]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2018}} However, during that early period a number of individuals attempted to hold the government to the multi-candidate promise, including members of the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] who attempted to field religious candidates as a result of Article 134<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1936/12/05.htm |website=Constitution (Fundamental law) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics |publisher=Red Star Press Ltd., London, 1978 |access-date=1 September 2019 |quote=ARTICLE 134. Member s of all Soviets of Working People's Deputies - of the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R., the Supreme Soviets of the Union Republics, the Soviets of Working People's Deputies of the Territories and Regions, the Supreme Soviets of the Autonomous Republics, the Soviets of Working People’s Deputies of Autonomous Regions, area, district, city and rural (stanitsa, village, hamlet, kishlak, aul) Soviets of Working People's Deputies - are chosen by the electors on the basis of universal, direct and equal suffrage by secret ballot.|title=Constitution (Fundamental law) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics }}</ref> of the new constitution, which promised freedom of religion. Many of the early individuals attempting to run as alternate candidates were arrested after the decision for multiple candidates was reversed. Additionally, the [[NKVD]] conducted mass arrests shortly before the elections.<ref name="Fitzpatrick">[[Sheila Fitzpatrick|Fitzpatrick, Sheila]]. 1999. ''Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s''. New York: Oxford University Press, pp.&nbsp;179–182.</ref>
The elections were originally announced as being multi-candidate; however, by halfway through the year the announcement was reversed due to the leadership worrying about the possible emergence of political opposition.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/id/4cc6cfbb-da46-4f2d-ad2b-b6e6a3aee91f/1004198.pdf |title=Open Library |access-date=2022-12-05 |archive-date=2022-12-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216012223/https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/id/4cc6cfbb-da46-4f2d-ad2b-b6e6a3aee91f/1004198.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> However, during that early period a number of individuals attempted to hold the government to the multi-candidate promise, including members of the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] who attempted to field religious candidates as a result of Article 134<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1936/12/05.htm |website=Constitution (Fundamental law) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics |publisher=Red Star Press Ltd., London, 1978 |access-date=1 September 2019 |quote=ARTICLE 134. Member s of all Soviets of Working People's Deputies - of the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R., the Supreme Soviets of the Union Republics, the Soviets of Working People's Deputies of the Territories and Regions, the Supreme Soviets of the Autonomous Republics, the Soviets of Working People’s Deputies of Autonomous Regions, area, district, city and rural (stanitsa, village, hamlet, kishlak, aul) Soviets of Working People's Deputies - are chosen by the electors on the basis of universal, direct and equal suffrage by secret ballot.|title=Constitution (Fundamental law) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics }}</ref> of the new constitution, which promised freedom of religion. Many of the early individuals attempting to run as alternate candidates were arrested after the decision for multiple candidates was reversed. Additionally, the [[NKVD]] conducted mass arrests shortly before the elections.<ref name="Fitzpatrick">[[Sheila Fitzpatrick|Fitzpatrick, Sheila]]. 1999. ''Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s''. New York: Oxford University Press, pp.&nbsp;179–182.</ref>


==Conduct==
==Conduct==
Despite the mass arrests and with the tone more subdued than with [[1929 Soviet Union legislative election|elections held in 1929]], there were still minor waves of dissent and opposition to candidates, especially major political figures (including [[Mikhail Kalinin]], [[Anastas Mikoyan]], and even [[Joseph Stalin]] himself) as well as celebrities (such as [[Aleksei Tolstoy]]) and candidates opposed on the basis of ethnicity (such as ethnic Russians running in the [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukrainian SSR]]).<ref name="Fitzpatrick" />
Despite the mass arrests and with the tone more subdued than with [[1929 Soviet Union legislative election|elections held in 1929]], there were still minor waves of dissent and opposition to candidates, especially major political figures (including [[Mikhail Kalinin]], [[Anastas Mikoyan]], and even [[Joseph Stalin]] himself) as well as celebrities (such as [[Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy|Aleksei Tolstoy]]) and candidates opposed on the basis of ethnicity (such as ethnic Russians running in the [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukrainian SSR]]).<ref name="Fitzpatrick" />


==Results==
==Results==
[[File:Soviet Union Legislative election 1937.png|thumb|Distribution of seats]]
[[File:Soviet Union Legislative election 1937.png|thumb|Distribution of seats]]

{| class=wikitable style=text-align:right
⚫
===Soviet of the Union===
!rowspan=2|Party
{{Election results
⚫
!colspan=3|[[Soviet of the Union]]
⚫
|party1=[[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)]]|votes1=89844271|vspan1=2|seats1=461
⚫
!colspan=3|[[Soviet of Nationalities]]
|party2=Independents|seats2=108
|-
|row3=Against|votes3=632074
!Votes
|invalid=636808
!%
|electorate=94138159
!Seats
|source=Nohlen & Stöver
!Votes
⚫
}}
!%

!Seats
⚫
===Soviet of Nationalities===
|-
{{Election results
⚫
|align=left|[[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)]]||rowspan=2|89,844,271||rowspan=2|99.3||461||rowspan=2|89,063,169||rowspan=2|99.4||409
|party1=[[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)]]|votes1=89063169|vspan1=2|seats1=409
|-
|align=left|Independents||108||165
|party2=Independents|seats2=165
|row3=Against|votes3=562402
|-
|invalid=1487582
|align=left|Against||632,074||0.7||–||562,402||0.6||–
|electorate=94138159
|-
|source=Nohlen & Stöver
|align=left|Invalid/blank votes||636,808||–||–||1,487,582||–||–
}}
|-
|align=left|'''Total'''||'''91,113,153'''||'''100'''||'''569'''||'''91,113,153'''||'''100'''||'''574'''
|-
|align=left|Registered voters/turnout||94,138,159||96.8||–||94,138,159||96.8||–
|-
|align=left colspan=7|Source: Nohlen & Stöver
⚫
|}


==References==
==References==
Line 79: Line 67:
==External sources==
==External sources==
*"State and Society Under Stalin: Constitutions and Elections in the 1930s," article by [[J. Arch Getty]] in ''Slavic Review'', Vol. 50, No. 1 (Spring, 1991).
*"State and Society Under Stalin: Constitutions and Elections in the 1930s," article by [[J. Arch Getty]] in ''Slavic Review'', Vol. 50, No. 1 (Spring, 1991).
*''The Distinctiveness of Soviet Law''. Ferdinand Joseph Maria Feldbrugge, ed. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers: Dordrecht (1987): 110-112.
*''The Distinctiveness of Soviet Law''. Ferdinand Joseph Maria Feldbrugge, ed. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers: Dordrecht (1987): 110–112.
*[[Sheila Fitzpatrick|Fitzpatrick, Sheila]]. 1999. ''Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s''. New York: Oxford University Press, pp.&nbsp;179–182.
*[[Sheila Fitzpatrick|Fitzpatrick, Sheila]]. 1999. ''Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s''. New York: Oxford University Press, pp.&nbsp;179–182.
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niDTwJJjlLc Kalinin speech in elections to the Supreme Soviet 1937]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niDTwJJjlLc Kalinin speech in elections to the Supreme Soviet 1937]

Latest revision as of 04:47, 18 April 2024

1937 Soviet Union legislative election
← 1936 12 December 1937 1946 →
All 1,143 seats in the Supreme Soviet
  First party Second party
 
Leader Joseph Stalin
Party VKP(b) Independent
Alliance BKB BKB
Leader since 21 January 1924
Seats won 870 273
Chairman of the Council of Ministers before election

Vyacheslav Molotov
CPSU

Elected Chairman of the Council of Ministers

Vyacheslav Molotov
CPSU

Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 12 December 1937.[1] It was the first election held under the 1936 Soviet Constitution, which had formed the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union to replace the old legislature, the Congress of Soviets of the Soviet Union.

Electoral system[edit]

The elections were originally announced as being multi-candidate; however, by halfway through the year the announcement was reversed due to the leadership worrying about the possible emergence of political opposition.[2] However, during that early period a number of individuals attempted to hold the government to the multi-candidate promise, including members of the Russian Orthodox Church who attempted to field religious candidates as a result of Article 134[3] of the new constitution, which promised freedom of religion. Many of the early individuals attempting to run as alternate candidates were arrested after the decision for multiple candidates was reversed. Additionally, the NKVD conducted mass arrests shortly before the elections.[4]

Conduct[edit]

Despite the mass arrests and with the tone more subdued than with elections held in 1929, there were still minor waves of dissent and opposition to candidates, especially major political figures (including Mikhail Kalinin, Anastas Mikoyan, and even Joseph Stalin himself) as well as celebrities (such as Aleksei Tolstoy) and candidates opposed on the basis of ethnicity (such as ethnic Russians running in the Ukrainian SSR).[4]

Results[edit]

Distribution of seats

Soviet of the Union[edit]

PartyVotes%Seats
All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)89,844,27199.30461
Independents108
Against632,0740.70–
Total90,476,345100.00569
Valid votes90,476,34599.30
Invalid/blank votes636,8080.70
Total votes91,113,153100.00
Registered voters/turnout94,138,15996.79
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

Soviet of Nationalities[edit]

PartyVotes%Seats
All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)89,063,16999.37409
Independents165
Against562,4020.63–
Total89,625,571100.00574
Valid votes89,625,57198.37
Invalid/blank votes1,487,5821.63
Total votes91,113,153100.00
Registered voters/turnout94,138,15996.79
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

References[edit]

  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1642 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. ^ "Open Library" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-12-16. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
  3. ^ "Constitution (Fundamental law) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics". Constitution (Fundamental law) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Red Star Press Ltd., London, 1978. Retrieved 1 September 2019. ARTICLE 134. Member s of all Soviets of Working People's Deputies - of the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R., the Supreme Soviets of the Union Republics, the Soviets of Working People's Deputies of the Territories and Regions, the Supreme Soviets of the Autonomous Republics, the Soviets of Working People's Deputies of Autonomous Regions, area, district, city and rural (stanitsa, village, hamlet, kishlak, aul) Soviets of Working People's Deputies - are chosen by the electors on the basis of universal, direct and equal suffrage by secret ballot.
  4. ^ a b Fitzpatrick, Sheila. 1999. Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 179–182.

External sources[edit]

  • "State and Society Under Stalin: Constitutions and Elections in the 1930s," article by J. Arch Getty in Slavic Review, Vol. 50, No. 1 (Spring, 1991).
  • The Distinctiveness of Soviet Law. Ferdinand Joseph Maria Feldbrugge, ed. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers: Dordrecht (1987): 110–112.
  • Fitzpatrick, Sheila. 1999. Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 179–182.
  • Kalinin speech in elections to the Supreme Soviet 1937
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