Russia and its Rulers: The nature of government

This episode explores how the nature of government in Russia evolved from the reign of Alexander II to the Khrushchev era, tracing the tension between autocracy, reform and repression across a century of upheaval. We examine the shifting structures of power under the tsars, from Alexander II’s limited reforms to Alexander III’s reaction and Nicholas II’s struggle to preserve autocracy amid revolution, before analysing the dramatic transformation brought by the Provisional Government and the Bolshevik seizure of power. The episode follows how Lenin built a one‑party state, how Stalin expanded it into a highly centralised dictatorship through terror, economic control and a pervasive cult of personality, and how Khrushchev attempted to reshape Soviet governance through de‑Stalinisation and cautious reform. Across these contrasting regimes, the episode reveals the enduring themes of continuity and change in Russian rule, and the ways leaders used ideology, coercion and reform to maintain authority.