The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Empire and the Duma Faction of the Constitutional Democratic Party: Conflicts and Cooperation (1912 - 1917)

The study reveals the interaction between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Empire and the faction of the Constitutional Democratic Party in the IV State Duma in 1912 - 1917. This cooperation is traced both through formal contacts at the meetings of the lower house of the parliament and through personal connections. An important place in the work is occupied by the press and public organizations, which played a key role in the contacts between the Diplomatic Department and the kadets. The relationship between the main opposition group in the State Duma and the Foreign Ministry demonstrates the interest of the government structures in cooperation not only with the loyal part of the public, but also with the opposition. The role of Foreign Ministry officials in the conflict between the Progressive Bloc and the tsarist government is also revealed. Moreover, despite the fact, that the foreign policy was outside the competence of the State Duma, the deputies received a possibility to discuss publicly and to influence the foreign course of the Russian Empire. The context of the International Relations of the work is also noteworthy, as it touches the period of the Balkan wars in 1912 - 1913 and the First World War.