The state and legal system of Russia during the World War I: transformation and crisis

The transformation of the state and legal system of the Russian Empire during the World War I (1914–1917) is analyzed. Key changes in the public administration system caused by wartime conditions are considered. Special attention is given to the evolution of emergency legislation, the activities of public organizations (Zemgor, Military-Industrial Committees), and the conflict between the government and the Progressive Bloc of the State Duma. Based on archival materials, legislative acts, and scientific research, it is concluded that the war exacerbated the empire’s systemic contradictions, ranging from the crisis of governance (“ministerial leapfrog”) to the radicalization of social sentiments. The reverse effect of emergency legislation is clearly demonstrated, which manifested in the fact that measures to adapt the law to wartime conditions (expanding the powers of governors-general, extrajudicial repressions) ultimately not only failed to prevent the crisis of statehood but also became a catalyst for its deepening. The study is interdisciplinary, combining methods of historical and legal analysis, quantitative analysis of statistical data, the institutional approach, and discourse analysis. The research materials can be used in the academic courses “History of the State and Law of Russia”, “History of Domestic State and Law”, “History of Public Administration in Russia”, as well as for studying the patterns of the crisis of statehood in extraordinary conditions.