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V. I. Lenin
THREE CONSTITUTIONS OR
THREE SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT
Published in leaflet form
in June-July 1905
Published according to
the text of the leaflet
From V. I. Lenin, Collected Works, 4th English Edition,
Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1965Second Revised Edition
Vol. 8, pp. 557-59.
Translated from the Russian by
Bernard Isaacs and Isidor Lasker
Editor: V. J. Jerome
Prepared © for the Internet by David J. Romagnolo,
djr@marx2mao.org (February 2002)
page 557
RUSSIAN SOCIAL-DEMOCRATIC LABOUR PARTY
Workers of all countries, unite!
THREE CONSTITUTIONS OR THREE SYSTEMS
OF GOVERNMENT
What do the police
and officials want?
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What do the most
liberal of the bour-
geois (the people of
the Osvobozhdeniye, or the Constitution-
al-Democratic Par-
ty) want?
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What do the class-
conscious workers
(the Social-Demo-
crats) want?
The absolute mon-
archy.
The constitutional
monarchy.
The democratic re-
public.
OF WHAT DO THESE SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT CONSIST?
ABSOLUTE
MONARCHY
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CONSTITUTIONAL
MONARCHY
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DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC
1. The tsar -- an
absolute monarch.
1. The tsar -- a
constitutional mon-
arch.
1. No tsar.
2. A Council of
State (officials ap-
pointed by the tsar).
2. An Upper
House of popular re-
presentatives (in di-
rect, not quite equal
and not quite univer-
sal elections).
2. No Upper
House.
page 558
3. A State Duma,
or consultative body
of popular represen-
tatives (in direct,
unequal, and non-
universal elections).
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3. A Lower House
(universal, direct,
and equal elections
by secret ballot).
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3. A single re-
publican house (un-
iversal, direct, and
equal elections by
secret ballot).
WHAT IS THE SIGNFICANCE OF THESE
SYSTEMS OF GOVERMENT?
ABSOLUTE
MONARCHY
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CONSTITUTIONAL
MONARCHY
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DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC
1. and 2. Com-
plete power of the
police and the of-
ficials over the
people.
1. One-third of
the power in the
hands of the police
and the officials,
headed by the tsar.
1. No indepen-
dent power for
either the police
or the officials;
their complete
subordination to
the people.
3. Consultative
voice of the big
bourgeoisie and the
rich landlords.
2. One-third of
the power in the
hands of the big
bourgeoisie and the
rich landlords.
2. No privileges
for either the capi-
talists or the land-
lords.
No power for the
people.
3. One-third of
the power in the
hands of the whole
people.
3. All power --
wholly, completely
and indivisibly --
in the hands of the
whole people.
page 559
WHAT PURPOSE SHALL THESE
SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT SERVE?
ABSOLUTE
MONARCHY
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CONSTITUTIONAL
MONARCHY
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DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC
That the courti-
ers, the police, and
the officials may
live on the fat of the
land;
that the rich may
rob the workers and
peasants at their
own free will;
that the people
may remain for ever
without rights and
live in darkness and
ignorance.
That the police
and the officials
may be dependent on
the capitalists and
landlords;
that the capital-
ists, landlords, and
rich peasants may
freely and easily rob
the workers of town
and country, by right
and not by arbitrary
rule.
That the free and
enlightened people
may learn to run
things themselves,
and, principally,
that the working
class may be free
to struggle for soc-
ialism, for a system
under which there
will be neither rich
nor poor and all the
land, all the facto-
ries and works, will
belong to all the
working people.