Council of People's Commissars (Lenin Government) |
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12th cabinet of Russia (as Russian SFSR) |
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Date formed | November 8, 1917 |
Date dissolved | January 21, 1924 |
People and organisations | |
Head of state |
Communist Party of Russia (as head of Proletariat) |
Head of government | Vladimir Lenin |
Member party | Communist |
Status in legislature | Majority |
History | |
Incoming formation | Alexander Kerensky's Second Cabinet |
Outgoing formation | Alexei Rykov's Cabinet |
Predecessor | Alexander Kerensky |
Successor | Alexei Rykov |
The Government of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was known officially as the Council of People's Commissars (1917–1946), the Council of Ministers (1946–1978) and the Council of Ministers – Government (1978–1991).
The Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR ([Совет народных комиссаров РСФСР] error: {{lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)) was government cabinet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) from 1917 through 1946, when it was renamed the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR. In 1922 state powers of the institution were technically somewhat superseded by the Council of People's Commissars of USSR.
By September 1917, the councils (soviets) of workers, peasants and soldiers acquired considerable political and military power. The leaders of the Petrograd Soviet conspired to overthrow the Russian Provisional Government; the uprising started on 7 November 1917, when Red Guards units captured the Winter Palace. On the next day, 8 November 1917, the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets recognized the success of the uprising, and formally established the new government that reflected the capture of the soviets by the Bolsheviks.
The government was formally called the Council of People's Commissars (Совет народных коммиссаров), abbreviated as Sovnarkom (Совнарком). It was Leon Trotsky who devised the council and commissar names, thereby avoiding the more "bourgeois" terms, minister and cabinet.