Russian Provisional Government

• 1. The Abdication And The Committee

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  On the 2nd of March, 1917, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated his throne. This event occurred two days before the official announcement of a new government. Mikhail Rodzianko headed the Provisional Committee of the State Duma in the Tauride Palace. He suspended the activity of the Fourth State Duma and temporarily took formal state power. Prince Georgy Lvov became the first Prime Minister of this new administration. Alexander Kerensky joined the cabinet as Minister of Justice shortly after. Pavel Milyukov served as Foreign Affairs Minister from March 1917. The initial composition included members like Nikolai Nekrasov for Transport and Aleksandr Konovalov for Trade and Industry. These appointments were made by the Provisional Committee on the 15th of March 1917. They announced their formation to the public through Izvestia the following day. The declaration promised full amnesty for political prisoners and military uprisings. It also guaranteed freedom of word, press, unions, and assemblies.

• 2. Dual Power And The Soviet

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  A Petrograd Soviet emerged as a Communist committee ruling Russia's most important port city. This body tentatively cooperated with the government at first but gradually gained control of the Imperial Army. Local factories and the Russian Railway fell under its influence. The period of competition for authority ended in late October 1917 when Bolsheviks routed the ministers. Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky led the soviets that supported the workers' councils. Alexander Guchkov stated that the Provisional Government possessed only the appearance of authority. He noted that real power lay with the Soviet. The dual power structure meant local soviets often maintained discretion over implementing laws. Rural institutions quickly implemented national laws regarding the peasantry's use of idle land. Real enforcement power resided in these local bodies rather than the central ministry. W.E. Mosse described this era as the only time modern Russians could play a significant part in shaping their destinies. Yet the government lacked the ability to administer its policies effectively against such opposition.

• 3. The April Crisis And War Policy

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  On the 18th of April 1917, Foreign Affairs Minister Pavel Milyukov sent a note to Allied governments. He promised to continue the war to its glorious conclusion despite demands for peace from the Petrograd Soviet. Massive demonstrations erupted on 20, the 21st of April 1917 among workers and soldiers. They demanded the resignation of Milyukov and counter-demonstrations were organized in his support. General Lavr Kornilov wished to suppress the disorders but Premier Georgy Lvov refused violence. The government accepted the resignation of both Milyukov and War Minister Guchkov. Six socialist ministers joined the cabinet following negotiations on the 22nd of April 1917. Socialist ministers pursued a double-faced policy under fire from left-wing Soviet associates. The Provisional Government merely reflected the will of the Soviet where Bolshevik tendencies gained ground. This political factionalism prevented decisive policy decisions during the spring months.

• 4. The June Offensive And July Days

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  Alexander Kerensky embarked on a whirlwind tour of Russian forces at the fronts in summer 1917. He gave passionate near-hysterical speeches calling on troops to act heroically. The June Offensive started on the 16th of June but lasted only three days before falling apart. Soldiers began to mutiny with some killing their commanding officers instead of fighting. Thousands died and great loss of territory resulted from this failed military offensive. An armed uprising known as the July Days occurred immediately in Petrograd. On July 3, the machine-gun regiment voted for an armed demonstration. Around 20,000 armed sailors arrived from Kronstadt naval base on July 4. Cossacks and Kadets fired upon crowds causing dozens to die in panic. Trotsky appeared from the Soviet assembly and intervened with a speech praising the Kronstadters. The Ministry of Justice released leaflets accusing Bolsheviks of treason with German financial support. Hundreds were arrested while Lenin and Zinoviev went into hiding. Kerensky became Prime Minister on the 21st of July after Prince Lvov resigned.

• 5. The Kornilov Affair And Republic

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  General Lavr Kornilov attempted a military coup d'état in September 1917. His troops approached Petrograd while Kerensky branded them counter-revolutionaries. He demanded their arrest to bolster his own power against a Napoleon-type figure. This move was seen by the army as a betrayal making them disloyal to the Provisional Government. Kornilov's troops were arrested by the now armed Red Guard. The Soviet saved the country from military dictatorship by providing arms to the Bolsheviks. When Kornilov did not attack Kerensky, the Bolsheviks kept their weapons. Thus far the status of monarchy remained unresolved until clarified on the 1st of September. A decree signed by Kerensky proclaimed the Russian Republic. An All-Russian Democratic Conference convened on the 12th of September to create a Pre-Parliament. The Duma was dissolved by the newly created Directorate on the 16th of September 1917.

• 6. Legislative Reforms And Democratization

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  The Provisional Government passed very progressive legislation despite its short reign. Policies represented arguably the most liberal laws in Europe at that time. Independence of Church from state and emphasis on rural self-governance were key features. Abolition of capital punishment and economic redistribution in the countryside followed. Poland gained independence while Lithuania and Ukraine became more autonomous. Special interest groups developed throughout 1917 including trade unions and professional organizations. Factory committees of workers rapidly developed on the plant level of industrial centers. Workers established economic democracy gaining managerial power over their workplace. Such groups played a negligible role before February 1917 and after October 1917. Local government bodies had discretionary authority when deciding which laws to implement. This democratization gave rise to powerful local institutions that often ignored central directives.

• 7. The Fall Of The Winter Palace

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  On 24, the 26th of October Red Guard forces launched their final attack on the Provisional Government. Most government offices were occupied and controlled by Bolshevik soldiers on the 25th. The last holdout, the Tsar's Winter Palace on the Neva River bank, was captured on the 26th. Kerensky escaped the raid and fled to Pskov where he rallied loyal troops. His troops managed to capture Tsarskoe Selo but were beaten the next day at Pulkovo. He spent weeks in hiding before fleeing the country into exile in France. The Little Council met briefly at Sofia Panina's house to resist the Bolsheviks. This initiative ended on the 28th of November with arrests of Panina and other ministers. The Bolsheviks replaced the government with their own system. Some academics argue the revolution was socialism by default rather than design due to these failures.