Transformation of public authorities and administration in Tomsk Province during the Revolution and the Civil War (1917-1919)

The Revolution and the Civil War are the periods of the strongest confrontation of socio-political powers and their alternative ways of social development. This period in Russian history is not an exception. The antagonism of the two cardinally opposite ways of the country's development: the radical Bolshevik way and the conservative democratic way (that was taken as a basis by non-Bolshevik Siberian authorities), became the strongest point of the confrontation. The February Revolution marked the period of great changes and shocks in society. Former political structures were destroyed and the spontaneous decentralization of the power at all political levels started. In the context of the former regional powers collapse, new political structures were soon formed. It was provisional committees that took government functions. However, this situation was unacceptable for the Government and soon led to a conflict between the center and the regions. The Government made a stake on the institution of commissars that was meant to be the proxy of the new political realities from the center. The West Siberian Commissariat, which replaced the Provisional Government, originally made a stake on restoration of self-government with the support of the institute of commissars. However, in the conditions of the Civil War these principles were ineffective. The strong government authority was necessary to keep local authorities under control. State commissars were an embodiment of strong power. During this period, some Commissariat members were inclined to the union with the conservative forces. It showed even more distinctly in the period of the Provisional Siberian Government. The commissar as a representative of the central power in the province supposed to have control over the coercive and emergency powers. However, in practice the institute of commissars was far from execution of its original functions. After Admiral Kolchak's takeover in November 1918, the strengthening of the commissars' power continued. The state control over the local authorities was also stressed. Militarization of the local power occurred as a new problem in this period. In the context of the Civil War, the Army played an active role in daily life. As a result, strengthening of the regional authorities soon turned into an increase of lawlessness of local authorities and military. It is possible to say that neither of non-Bolshevik governments in Siberia managed to form an effective system of provincial authorities. This factor became decisive in the collapse of the "White" institutions.

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