Under the pressure of the Russian Revolution of 1905, on August 6, 1905 Tsar Nicholas II issued a manifesto about the convocation of the Duma, initially thought to be an advisory organ. In the subsequent October Manifesto Tsar pledged to introduce basic civil liberties, provide for broad participation in the State Duma, and endow the Duma with legislative and oversight powers. Though Russia was an autocracy, rather than a democracy, the State Duma is sometimes formally compared to the lower house of a parliament (the State Council of Imperial Russia being compared to the upper house).

However, Nicholas II was determined to retain his autocratic power. Just before the creation of the Duma in May 1906, the Tsar issued the Fundamental Laws that contradicted the October Manifesto in several important ways. It stated in part that Tsar's ministers could not be appointed by and were not responsible to the Duma, thus denying responsible government at the executive level. Furthermore, the Tsar had the power to dismiss the Duma and announce new elections whenever he wishes. On the day that he dissolved the Duma Nicholas II wrote in his diary only one sentence about the day's highlight news: Signed a decree dissolving the Duma.



Election for the First Duma, which opened in July 1906, returned a significant bloc of moderate socialists and both liberal parties who demanded further reforms. For this reason, it is often called "the Duma of public anger". Sergei Muromtsev, Professor of Law at Moscow University, was elected President. Due to growing tensions between the Duma and Nicholas II's ministers (prominently Goremykin), the assembly was dissolved within ten weeks.

The Second Duma in February 1907 was equally short-lived. Using emergency power, Prime Minister Petr Stolypin changed the electoral law and gave greater electoral value to the votes of nobility and landowners. This ensured the Third Duma would be dominated by gentry, landowners and businessmen.

Between 1907 and 1912, the Octobrist-dominated Third Duma ran its course. Being more oriented towards conservative positions, it was able to last its full five-years term. The assassination of Stolypin and increasingly reactionary policies of the Tsar and his State Council further weakened the significance of the Third Duma.

The Fourth Duma of 1912–1917 was also of limited political influence; however, it played a role in the events of 1917, partly cooperating with the provisional government. It was dissolved in the course of the Russian Revolution.