The History of the First Duma

The first Duma was dominated by the moderate cadet party who held 179 of the 478 possible seats. The second largest party were the left leaning through the viki or laborists who held 97 seats. This dominance was possible because the Social Revolutionaries, SARS, and the Social Democrats, which included the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks, did not participate. After two years of war and revolt, the people sought a return to stability. Nicholas II began actively suppressing the actions of the opposition.