A Better Russian Prime Minister in 1916?

Old1812

Old1812

In January 1916, after Russia had successfully beaten off the Austro-Hungarian Black-Yellow Offensive, Tsar Nicholas finally felt secure enough to remove the elderly premier Ivan Goremykin. To replace him, Nicholas chose Boris Stürmer. He was chosen more for his loyalty to the Tsar than any real ability on his part, and choosing did nothing to appease the Progressive Bloc in the Duma. Stürmer's corruption and appointment of his friends and supporters also helped further hinder matters.

However, what if Nicholas chose a proper compromise candidate, one that could hopefully work with the Progressives? Does anyone have ideas for who could be a good candidate?
 
Old1812

Old1812

Two possible choices could be former Minister of the Interior Prince Nikolai Borisovich Shcherbatov - it appears his name was thrown around as a possibility by the Progressives. Another is Admiral Ivan Konstantinovich Grigorovich, former commander of the Baltic Fleet. He had a good relationship with the Duma, which allowed to secure support for his naval build-up plans. He was suggested, but Alexandra scotched the idea.
 

rob in cal

Was there any candidate who could appeal to the left but also make moves to lead Russia toward a compromise peace with the Central Powers? such a candidate would seem the one best able to head off a revolution.
 
Old1812

Old1812

rob in cal said:
Was there any candidate who could appeal to the left but also make moves to lead Russia toward a compromise peace with the Central Powers? such a candidate would seem the one best able to head off a revolution.
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I'm not entirely sure if the two candidates I mentioned would have been willing to make peace, but I would consider at least more likely than the staunch conservatives.
 

Korczak

Old1812 said:
However, what if Nicholas chose a proper compromise candidate, one that could hopefully work with the Progressives? Does anyone have ideas for who could be a good candidate?
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Stürmer was chosen by Nicholas II as a man capable of reaching compromise with the opposition. After all Stürmer was not a reactionary, but a conservative liberal. He was Nicholas II's personal candidate for premiership since at least 1905. Stürmer established himself as a capable administrator while being governor in Yaroslavl (1896-1902). As a governor he always managed to reach compromise with local opposition in zemstvo and always had good personal relations with opposition leaders. When in 1903 the government needed someone to be sent to Tver to inspect financial dealings of local zemstvo without sparking a scandal and at the same time disclosing facts of corruption among local liberal opposition leaders, the Tsar chose Stürmer for this mission.

In 1916 the problem was that progressivists didn't want compromise with the government. They wanted to topple it and to transform Russian dualistic monarchy (when cabinet is responsible before the Tsar and all the ministers are appointed by the Tsar while Duma is only a legislative body) into a British-style parliamentary monarchy (whith cabinet consisting of MPs and responsible before the Duma). Not a good idea during the World War.

Old1812 said:
Stürmer's corruption and appointment of his friends and supporters also helped further hinder matters
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Stürmer was not corrupt. Special investigation commission formed by provisional government after the revolution in order to find any traces of corruption and other abuses of power by tsarist officials found nothing. And Stürmer didn't appoint his friends and supporters as he simply didn't have such authority.
 
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