Provisional Government – Introduction
Formed in March 1917 after abdication of Nicholas II
Was a TEMPORARY committee of Duma deputies
Sole purpose = manage Russia’s transition from Tsarism to a democratic government through the
arrangement of elections to a National Constituent Assembly…
Achieved
1st meeting of an elected Constituent Assembly was in January 1918 occurred after
Bolshevik seizure of power & was shut down by the Bolsheviks by force
Had no popular mandate and had dwindling levels of support
Petrograd Soviet representative council of 3,000 delegates that coexisted alongside Provisional
Government & essentially shared power with PG known as…
Dual Authority
Provisional Government = had little option but to work with Petrograd Soviet as soviet had
significant support from soldiers, sailors, workers, and peasants Soviet undermined many
Provisional Government proposals
Decided to maintain the war effort = unpopular…
Particularly in April forcing resignation of Milyukov and July after Kerensky’s failed offensive in
Galicia
Key events
27th February 1917 Meeting of the Duma =established
Provisional Committee of the Duma
Petrograd Soviet formed
2nd March 1917 Nicholas II abdicates as Tsar
Provisional government formed led
by Prince Lvov (Kadet party member)
3rd April 1917 Lenin returns from exile
7th April 1917 Lenin’s April Theses = published in
Pravda
April Theses: condemned the PG as bourgeois
and called for the Bolsheviks to not cooperate
with it & called WW1 a ‘predatory imperialist
war’ where slogans ‘All Power to the
Soviets’ and ‘Peace, Bread, Land’ came from
21st April 1917 Lenin tried staging new revolution and
the overthrow of PG but was
unplanned and lacked enough
support/ turnout
FAILED
9th June 1917 Bolsheviks tried to effect revolution by
trying to use the June Offensive on the
Eastern Front to turn people against
, PG
FAILED to gain support of Petrograd
Soviet = overall failure
3rd - 4th July 1917 July Days demonstrations against
the PG in Petrograd
Workers joined by soldiers and
Kronstadt sailors calling for all power
to the soviets
4th July 1917 Prince Lvov resigned = unable to
control internal divisions within the
PG between Liberals and Socialists
18th July Socialist Alexander Kerensky became
Prime Minister
26th – 30th August General Kornilov = commander of
Russian troops
Kornilov Coup…
General Kornilov called for tougher
measures to restore military discipline
and increase economic output went
against spirit of PG
Petrograd = at stand still for several
days so Kornilov called for Martial law
to be established in city
PM Kerensky refused martial law and
called on Kronstadt Sailors to come to
his defence
PM Kerensky = ARMED BOLSHEVIK
‘Red Guard’s so they could defend the
city Kornilov’s troops train stopped
by rail workers & persuaded soldiers
to desert
1st September 1917 Kornilov = arrested
PM Kerensky persuaded to release
Bolsheviks arrested in July Days
Leon Trotsky became leader of
Petrograd Soviet
9th October 1917 Bolsheviks establish Military
Revolutionary Committee led by
Trotsky
10th October 1917 Lenin attended meeting of Bolshevik
Central Committee & called for
Bolshevik Revolution
24th October 1917 Armed workers, Bolshevik Red Guards
& the Kronstadt Sailors occupied key
buildings around city of Petrograd
25th October 1917 PM Kerensky leaves Petrograd in
disguise
Bolshevik supporters enter winter
Palace & arrest remaining members of
25th October 1917 continued… PG
Congress of Soviets held which
Formed in March 1917 after abdication of Nicholas II
Was a TEMPORARY committee of Duma deputies
Sole purpose = manage Russia’s transition from Tsarism to a democratic government through the
arrangement of elections to a National Constituent Assembly…
Achieved
1st meeting of an elected Constituent Assembly was in January 1918 occurred after
Bolshevik seizure of power & was shut down by the Bolsheviks by force
Had no popular mandate and had dwindling levels of support
Petrograd Soviet representative council of 3,000 delegates that coexisted alongside Provisional
Government & essentially shared power with PG known as…
Dual Authority
Provisional Government = had little option but to work with Petrograd Soviet as soviet had
significant support from soldiers, sailors, workers, and peasants Soviet undermined many
Provisional Government proposals
Decided to maintain the war effort = unpopular…
Particularly in April forcing resignation of Milyukov and July after Kerensky’s failed offensive in
Galicia
Key events
27th February 1917 Meeting of the Duma =established
Provisional Committee of the Duma
Petrograd Soviet formed
2nd March 1917 Nicholas II abdicates as Tsar
Provisional government formed led
by Prince Lvov (Kadet party member)
3rd April 1917 Lenin returns from exile
7th April 1917 Lenin’s April Theses = published in
Pravda
April Theses: condemned the PG as bourgeois
and called for the Bolsheviks to not cooperate
with it & called WW1 a ‘predatory imperialist
war’ where slogans ‘All Power to the
Soviets’ and ‘Peace, Bread, Land’ came from
21st April 1917 Lenin tried staging new revolution and
the overthrow of PG but was
unplanned and lacked enough
support/ turnout
FAILED
9th June 1917 Bolsheviks tried to effect revolution by
trying to use the June Offensive on the
Eastern Front to turn people against
, PG
FAILED to gain support of Petrograd
Soviet = overall failure
3rd - 4th July 1917 July Days demonstrations against
the PG in Petrograd
Workers joined by soldiers and
Kronstadt sailors calling for all power
to the soviets
4th July 1917 Prince Lvov resigned = unable to
control internal divisions within the
PG between Liberals and Socialists
18th July Socialist Alexander Kerensky became
Prime Minister
26th – 30th August General Kornilov = commander of
Russian troops
Kornilov Coup…
General Kornilov called for tougher
measures to restore military discipline
and increase economic output went
against spirit of PG
Petrograd = at stand still for several
days so Kornilov called for Martial law
to be established in city
PM Kerensky refused martial law and
called on Kronstadt Sailors to come to
his defence
PM Kerensky = ARMED BOLSHEVIK
‘Red Guard’s so they could defend the
city Kornilov’s troops train stopped
by rail workers & persuaded soldiers
to desert
1st September 1917 Kornilov = arrested
PM Kerensky persuaded to release
Bolsheviks arrested in July Days
Leon Trotsky became leader of
Petrograd Soviet
9th October 1917 Bolsheviks establish Military
Revolutionary Committee led by
Trotsky
10th October 1917 Lenin attended meeting of Bolshevik
Central Committee & called for
Bolshevik Revolution
24th October 1917 Armed workers, Bolshevik Red Guards
& the Kronstadt Sailors occupied key
buildings around city of Petrograd
25th October 1917 PM Kerensky leaves Petrograd in
disguise
Bolshevik supporters enter winter
Palace & arrest remaining members of
25th October 1917 continued… PG
Congress of Soviets held which
