Degree Name

Department

History

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Defense Date

2019-03-12

Publication Date

2019-03-14

First Faculty Advisor

Dr. Jeffrey Hardy

First Faculty Reader

Dr. Michael Kelly

Honors Coordinator

Dr. Aaron Skabelund

Keywords

Russian law, constitutions, criminal codes, Fundamental Law

Abstract

This thesis examines the constitutions and criminal codes which appeared at the end of the Tsarist regime of Nicholas II and the beginning of the new regime of the Bolsheviks led by Vladimir Lenin. It contrasts the constitutions and criminal codes of each regime to demonstrate the changes between state ideologies and laws, but also highlight the similarities between the two in terms of their concerns for the state. It shows that despite the changes that occurred in the written law, each regime was primarily concerned with establishing the supremacy of the ruling government.