The Constitutional Democratic Party, also called the Cadet Party, was created in 1905 and was a leftist movement of liberalism. It was also called the "professorship party" for the high level of education of its members. The cadets offered the empire liberal values and constitutional decisions that were implemented in European states. However, in Russia they turned out to be unclaimed.
The Cadet Party advocated non-violent development of the state, parliamentarism and liberalization. The program of political education included a provision on the equal rights of all citizens, regardless of nationality, estate, gender and religion. The Cadet Party also advocated the abolition of restrictions for various classes and nationalities, the right to inviolability of the person, freedom of movement, conscience, speech, assembly, press and religion.
The cadet party considered the best for Russia the parliamentary form of government, based on universal suffrage with a clear and secret ballot. The democratization of local self-government and the expansion of its powers were also what the Cadets sought. The party advocated for the independence of the court and the increase in the area of land allotments for peasants at the expense of specific, state, cabinet and monastery lands, as well as through the redemption of private lands of landowners at their real estimated cost. The list of priorities also included: freedom of strikes and labor unions, an eight-hour working day, development of production legislation, universal compulsory and free primary education, as well as complete autonomy of Poland and Finland. The leader of the Cadet Party P.N. Milyukov subsequently became the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Provisional Government.
In 1906, a clause was added to the program that the country should become a parliamentary and constitutional monarchy. The supreme party body of the cadets was the Central Committee, which was elected at congresses. It was divided into Moscow and St. Petersburg departments. The Petersburg Central Committee was engaged in work on the party program and the submission of various bills to the Duma. At the Moscow Central Committee there was publishing work, as well as the organization of agitation. The Central Committee was composed of representatives of the bourgeoisie and intelligentsia, as well as landlords with liberal views.
In 1917, after the February Revolution took place, the Cadet Party from the opposition structure turned into a ruling political entity. Its representatives took leading places in the Provisional Government. From the idea of a constitutional monarchy, the party quickly moved on to the slogans of democracy and a parliamentary republic. After the February Revolution, this party began to actively strengthen its position among the clergy, students and intelligentsia. Among the working class and most peasants, its position remained weak, which subsequently became one of the reasons that the Provisional Government could not remain in power for long.
At a party congress in 1921 in Paris, it split into two groups. The new “democratic” branch was led by Miliukov, and the part that remained in their previous positions was headed by Kaminka and Hesse. Since that time, the Cadets, as a single political party, ceased to exist.
