Reincarnated as Nikolai II

Tsarism.

All national wealth and power controlled and distributed by the Tsar.

That is, imperial subjects bear no responsibility while one person, the ’Tsar’, takes responsibility for the state and rules for life.

Especially in Russia where Tsar’s power had strengthened over the past 100 years, only during times of Tsar succession was there room for other ideologies to enter.

A representative example would be liberalism that flourished nationwide with Nicholas II’s ascension.

However, rarely during the current Tsar’s reign, one more gap appeared in this Tsarism - the State Duma.

The power-concentrated bureaucracy of a centralized state and the Duma recognizing local power.

When young Stolypin first observed this dual structure, what he felt was ’Can these coexist?’

Though the Duma is an element making imperial politics healthy long-term, it’s still a premature organization.

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Power for imperial subjects who haven’t even received basic education? The moment it’s given they’ll just lose control and probably high chance half-baked middle class calling themselves intellectuals or thinkers will try to seize power.

And exactly as Stolypin predicted, the Duma became a place where only wolves gathered.

The Tsar didn’t particularly restrict this.

The Duma became a mess.

Bureaucrats still ran the empire.

And, reforms began.

Stolypin who first joined those reforms finally began to see that Duma properly.

A trash can.

The Duma is a trash can.

Since it’s difficult for the Tsar to verify quality through ideological screening and separate waste one by one, he just gathered everything in one place while still having only bureaucrats run things.

Why?

If he wanted progress he could have brought in progressives, if he wanted liberal support he could have thrown them some scraps.

Even doing that wouldn’t shake the empire’s absolute power. This country is the Tsar’s country, all power fundamentally comes from His Majesty the Tsar.

At that time Stolypin couldn’t understand the political direction the Tsar pursued, but just did as ordered.

First he devoted himself day and night to agricultural reform to shed the stigma of parachuting in, and as some time passed that way, several colleagues began being dragged away under the pretext of corruption cleanup.

Thanks to this purge period, the awakened Stolypin somehow rose to Vice Chairman of the Ministerial Council overseen by the core government department, the Ministry of Finance.

In terms of rank, a vice-ministerial level next to minister.

Rising to Vice Chairman, Stolypin pondered the current system again.

The heads of liberals and socialists were largely cut off.

The Duma still formally holds one axis of the empire though detached from reform.

Minister Witte still doesn’t strongly show his colors even after becoming Prime Minister.

Thinking calmly, it’s clear at least that the Tsar doesn’t have the medieval mindset that ’no one but the Tsar can hold power in Russia.’

If so, the Prime Minister position and Duma wouldn’t have been established.

Then the conclusion converges to one point.

"His Majesty supports no ideology, no doctrine, no faction."

If Minister Witte had actively tried to control the Duma and furthermore use it as his limbs, could he have risen to Prime Minister? Absolutely not.

Although Prime Minister Witte was a monstrous person highly trusted since the previous Tsar’s time, known for competing with university presidents in scholarship and working well since Trans-Siberian Railway construction...

Even so, if Witte had any factional label whether liberal or conservative, he couldn’t have come this far.

Probably he would have resigned midway due to extreme checks from others or for some reason.

Having reached this realization, Stolypin decided to flip this understanding.

If the Tsar supports no ideology, faction, or doctrine, how can one succeed as a bureaucrat?

Though not supporting, he must know their necessity.

"Naturally it must be an ideology fitting the times appropriately."

Then you can receive the Tsar’s choice and succeed.

Not receiving imperial subjects’ choice like the Duma. Receiving the Tsar’s choice.

Reform. Purge. War.

And victory in war.

From now Russia will develop through that Asian market and naturally the status of the Far East connecting it will be completely different from before.

Already Trans-Siberian Railway double-tracking construction is ongoing and later capital and industry are flowing to numerous pioneering companies’ brilliant success myths.

That is, the empire’s future is the Far East from now on.

Then what is an ideology fitting the Far East?

The answer to this is very simple with only one candidate.

"What? The Vice Chairman of the Ministerial Council wants to join our party?"

"I cannot join the party now."

That would get me on Prime Minister Witte’s bad side before even catching His Majesty’s eye after he returns from America.

"Um... then?"

"I too as a bureaucrat and reformer have respected and admired Professor Bunge as my teacher. But now that he has passed away, who could possibly inherit this state-led liber-"

"Just call it Statism. We also abbreviate it that way now."

"Ahem, who could inherit this Statism? I, Stolypin, though lacking, wish to inherit Professor Bunge’s will."

"So you’re saying you’re a Statist like us now?"

"Representative Beren Volkov, recognize me as a Statist. Officially."

"...It’s not bad for us if a promising high official is a Statist. I’ll meet with friendly journalists tomorrow."

That day Stolypin received his Statist certification mark born from the Far East.

Though ideologically very ambiguous and seeming to patch together all good words, whatever it is, their position is different from before.

His Majesty has long been interested in the Far East.

Chairman Bunge created a new ideology spreading among bureaucrats in this Far East.

For at least the next 20 years, the Far East will lead the empire’s future.

Therefore, Stolypin wanting to succeed as a bureaucrat willingly sought to become a Statist.

Of course the certification mark thrown by Representative Volkov isn’t enough.

Stolypin added one more gambling move.

[Personnel Transfer Request: Pyotr Stolypin]

While most bureaucrats still don’t know the importance of Far Eastern dispatch positions, Stolypin sought to add Far Eastern career to his experience.

Stolypin had no intention of being satisfied with just a vice-ministerial position.

==

While the peace conference held in Portsmouth, New Hampshire was expected to last at least 3-4 weeks,

The Korean Empire was making all sorts of desperate attempts to maintain minimum ’independence’ separate from that peace conference.

"I hear the Russian Empire has a principality system. This system never occupies but rather protects if you respect Russia as overlord."

"Are you suggesting we hand over the whole country to those white men? Have you all gone mad?"

"Isn’t it just thinking of Russia replacing Qing? Let’s gain independence first."

"Um... but you know what? Finland and Poland have no kings. They all died."

The war was Russia’s overwhelming victory and Russia became the only great power that could possess Korea.