OCR A-Level History, Russia and Its Rulers - Depth Study - The Provisional Government, including the nature of government, challenged to government including the continuing war, economic and social conditions, rural and urban conditions, opposition for national minorities, key events during the Pro...
The Provisional Government
Nature of the Government
Point Information
• The Provisional Government and Petrograd Soviet made up the two main
political bodies after the fall of the Romanovs in February 1917
• The PG was made up of key figures for the Kadets and other liberal parties
• Leader Prince Lvov
The • Role was to run the country until a constituent assembly had been formed and
Provisional the people could vote
Government • PG were chosen by a committee of the Duma – it was not elected by the people
• Milyukov (foreign minister), Kerensky (minister of justice), Lvov (Prime
Minister)
• Had the power to make laws but had to have agreement with the Soviets
• PG had all responsibility; Soviets had all the power
• Made up of workers and solider’ representatives
• Socialist intellectuals – mainly Mensheviks – happy to sit and watch and make
sure people weren’t exploited
• They wanted to wait for the Proletariat to dominate society and then take over
• Lenin thought this would take too long
• Leader – Chkheidze – Menshevik
Petrograd • Role was the protect the interest of the working classes and soldiers
Soviet • ORDER NO.1 – gave Soviet power of all weapons and meant representation for
all soldiers – created a situation of dual power
• They could also determine which factories could stay open, and which services
(e.g. electricity) would be provided
• They refused to take power – Mensheviks/SR’s believed they needed to wait,
they wanted to avoid civil war or a counter revolution, leaders were scared and
unsure if they could control the masses
• Member of both bodies and provided main lines of communication between
Alexander
both political bodies
Kerensky
• Prime Minister after Lvov and the July Days
70
, • Immediate amnesty of political prisoners, including terrorists – potentially
dangerous for opposition and threat to stability, to reform is liberal and good in
theory but not in practice
• Immediate freedom of speech, assembly, and right to strike
• Immediate abolition of religious, national, or social privileges
• Immediate preparations for a Constituent Assembly that guaranteed universal
Initial Aims suffrage – they put off elections in fear they won’t get re-elected
• Abolition of all police units and replacement by local militias with elected
officers – cannot be associated with Tsars, but lose control of people
• Elections for all local councils and zemstvas
• All military units that had joined the revolution were to keep their weapons and
would not be sent to the front
• Maintenance of military discipline
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