Soviet Union

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In the early times of the 20th century, Russia experienced many changes in their political system, which has progressed from the single-party Communist state into a current semi-presidential republic. After the October Revolution of in 1916, the Council of People’s Commissars was formed in the Russian Republic. Serving as an executive organ of the Central Executive Committee, the members of the Council were elected for two years, and helped structure the country to form the Soviet Union. Over time, this eventually became the highest government authority of executive power under the Soviet System. Following the creation of the USSR in 1922, the Unions became modeled after the first Sovnarkom, but to deal with domestic matters, the Soviet republics maintained their own governments. By 1946, the Council of People’s Commissars transformed into the Council of Ministers, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics changed the People’s Commissariats into Ministries. As head of the executive branch, the council was responsible for issuing declarations, and they had obligatory jurisdictional power over the territories within the Union.

On 8 November 1917, the Council of People’s Commissars was established by the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Government, and the council became the administrative apparatus of the Russian Soviet Republic. After the October Revolution, the government became based on principles of Marxist-Leninist ideology. These principles were formed on the idea that all nations should appear with time, so nationalism was considered a bourgeois ideology, which continued to function up to World War II. When the USSR was formed on December 1922, all administrative functions were placed in the hands off the Co...

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...t were subordinate to it. In addition, they could direct the work of union republics, union ministries, state committees and other organizations they had power over. They were also important in day-to day decision making because 73 percent of them were full members of the Central Committee at the 25th Party Congress.
The Council also consisted of government leaders with non-production responsibilities, such as internal and external affairs, finance, defense, health, education and welfare. The coordination of the ministers plans and decisions went two ways. First, the groups were supervised by a small number of senior party leaders, whom were called “overlords” that appointed deputies and formed an inner cabinet. Second, the detailed coordination of ministerial plans was routed through the State Planning Commission, which is an advisory body with ministerial status.

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