Shaping Soviet Federalism in the Work of the Commission for the Drafting of the RSFSR Constitution in 1918

The paper examines the formation of the foundational principles of the Soviet State’s national and territorial structure during the proceedings of the Commission for the Drafting of the RSFSR Constitution in 1918. Drawing on archival materials and doctrinal sources, the author analyzes all positions voiced in debates over stateterritorial organization and proposes a classification of those positions. The paper elucidates drafts considered by the Commission and identifies their ideological underpinnings. The study describes the causes of the conceptual contradictions and explains why I. V. Stalin’s draft was adopted as the basis for the federal structure of the Soviet State. The author assesses alternative views that construed the RSFSR as a unitary state or as a confederation and draws conclusions on their inconsistency with the actual state of affairs. Finally, the reasons are identified for the Soviet federation’s pronounced distinctiveness and the internal contradictions of its legal structure.

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