The gov announced freedom of religion & press, which
deprived it of control over much of the machinery of
persuasion.
Russia Replaced the Tsarist system of police w a ‘ppl’s militia’ &
provincial governors w elected zemstvos – these
Provisional Government dismantled the machinery of coercion.
Their actions These made it diff for the gov to control the provinces –
How did the PG’s actions erode the by mid 1917, the PG no longer had control of the
countryside.
machinery of gov? Discipline in the army also fell - the end of censorship led
[5] to an incr in anti-war propaganda w/in the army.
Concessions to labour, e.g. the 8hr day & recognition of
factory committees undermined profitability & the
labour discipline.
The decision to continue fighting the war was v unpop, esp among the
working pop.
o This was shown when Milyukov’s (foreign minister)
announcement that the gov would continue fighting until they
Russia reached a ‘just peace’ was met w massive anti-war
demonstrations in the capital.
Provisional Government o Desertions incr rapidly after Feb – 195,000 between 1914 &
the Feb Rev vs 365,000 between Mar & May 1917.
Their actions For peasants (most soldiers were peasants), the real issue was land. Yet
on this issue the refused to act.
How did the PG’s actions alienate the o The gov argued that only the Constituent Assembly could
redistribute land.
left? o Peasants took the land anyways, knowing the gov could not
stop them. Soldiers oft deserted to take part.
[8] The PG’s slowness to set up an electoral commission (to prep for
elections in Nov), created the suspicion that a 'bourgeois’ gov was
deliberately avoiding elections that would overthrow it.
Wages fell rapidly as prices rose. In Jan 1917 prices were 300% of the
1914 level. By Oct 1917 they had risen to 755%.
The PG hoped to rule w support from all sections of Russian society,
meaning they had to satisfy the upper-class supporters of the PG &
the working-class supporters of the Soviet. Trying to achieve this
resulted in the PG alienating both groups.
Russia The PG lost upper-class support b/c it failed to protect their property,
to maintain order, or to prosecute the war successfully.
Provisional Government o In the countryside, the abolition of the tsarist police made
it imp to defend landowners’ property from peasant
Their actions attacks.
Army officers were also unhappy b/c they had lost their authority.
How did the PG’s actions alienate its own o Petrograd Soviet Order No_ 1, which reinforced the idea
core supporters? that soldiers didn’t need to obey their officers.
o In addition, rumours of land redistribution made many
[8] soldiers rushed home.
By the summer, landowners, army officers, & entrepreneurs began to
think that a strong gov would be better than a democratic gov, esp
during war.
o This sentiment grew after the failed Bolshevik plot in Jul 17.
a)
Partly b/c of the loosening of censorship & the return of revolutionary
exiles.
Challenges from the right - Kornilov’s military coup
Russia Challenges from the left -Lenin’s political manifesto demands no co-op w
the PG & July days.
Provisional Government b)
Petrograd Soviet Order No_ 1 meant the PS had control of the army.
The problems they faced The considerable influence the PS had meant the PG had do deal w
having dual authority w the PS over Russia.
a) Radical rev groups [3] People in the PSs tended to be followers of revolutionary groups, such as
the Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, SRs, etc.
b) Power of the Petrograd Soviet [3] c)
Contingent on the PG forwarding policies that the commanders approve
c) Loyalty of the army commanders [3] of.
The commanders expect the PG to maintain internal control in Russia. If
the PG fails @ this, the commanders may feel the need to replace the PG
w a more competent gov.
The Kornilov affair is an example of the relationship breaking down.
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