The beginning of the 1920s was marked by the emergence of a new world power in the political arena - the USSR. The first Constitution of the USSR was adopted 2 years after the creation of the Soviet Union.
The very first code of laws of the new state was signed in January 1924. It was then that the first Constitution of the USSR was adopted at the Second Congress of Soviets, which legislated the dictatorship of the proletariat.
Also, the first basic law reflected the multinational way of the Soviet Union and the powerful base of Soviet power. It is worth noting that the first Constitution of the USSR was adopted by foreign powers without any contradictions.
What accelerated the creation of this code of laws? As you know, at the first Congress of Soviets, the Declaration on the Creation of the USSR was approved, and already in January 1923, exactly one year before the adoption of the first Constitution, 6 commissions were founded to develop and prepare the text of the future code of laws. The first constitution has the following structure:
- first section: Declaration on the formation of the Soviet Union;
- Second section: Treaty on the formation of the Soviet Union.
First sectioncharacterized the principles of entry into the Soviet Union of other republics. The principles were as follows: voluntariness and equality.
In addition to these principles, the Constitution directly stated the possibility of a world revolution, the division of the world into two camps: the capitalist camp and the camp of socialism. The second section of the USSR Constitution included 11 chapters, which approved the emblem, flag and capital of the Soviet Union, the rights of sovereign republics, provisions on the executive committee, presidium and other authorities.
The First Constitution of the USSR had the following exclusive jurisdiction:
- foreign policy and trade;
- drafting basic laws;
- management/planning of the state budget and economy;
- issues of war/peace.
The Second Constitution of the USSR was adopted 12 years later and lasted until 1977.
It had its own name: "Stalin's Constitution", or "The Constitution of victorious socialism." What did the new document of the Soviet Union proclaim? First, he said that socialism had won in the USSR. Secondly, he confirmed the destruction of private property and the introduction of equal universal suffrage. Oddly enough, but the Constitution of 1936 granted people the freedom of the press, assembly, speech and meetings and the inviolability of secret correspondence. According to the Constitution of 1936, the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks was the representative of all public and state organizations. Its useful to note,that until 1977, December 5 was considered the day of the Constitution - this day was celebrated as a holiday by all the people. In 1962, Khrushchev created a commission to revise the main law of the country.
The first Constitution of the USSR was published in early 1924. It was the first set of laws of the new state, the new great power. But its history was very short: for only 12 years, the first Constitution of the USSR had the highest legal force in the Soviet Union, after which it was revised and repealed.
