Lecture notes
The Russian Provisional Government notes
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- Russia 1855-1964
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AQA A-level history Russia
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PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENTTable of Contents
Timeline of Events (& their importance)....................................................................................................3
10.02.2023.............................................................................................................................................................3
International Women’s Day brings vast crowds on to the streets of Petrograd.........................................................................3
Lenin returns to Petrograd from exile & published his political manifesto (aka April Thesis)....................................................3
Failed Russian army offensive against Austrians in Galicia..........................................................................................................3
Gunfire from the battleship Aurora signals start of storming of the Winter Palace...................................................................3
Problems the PG faced..............................................................................................................................5
10.02.2023.............................................................................................................................................................5
Active radical revolutionary groups.............................................................................................................................................5
Power of the Petrograd Soviet.....................................................................................................................................................5
The PG lacks legitimacy of its own...............................................................................................................................................5
The ongoing war...........................................................................................................................................................................5
The loyalty of the army commanders..........................................................................................................................................5
The precedent set by the Feb rev.................................................................................................................................................6
High expectations.........................................................................................................................................................................6
Discussion Questions on David Christian, Imperial & Soviet Russia, Ch7, ‘1917’ – Part A: The Provisional
Gov...........................................................................................................................................................7
19.02.2023.............................................................................................................................................................7
1. What were the main reasons for the informal alliance formed between the PG & Petrograd Soviet? (pp. 180-183)...........7
2.1 How did the PG’s actions erode the machinery of gov? (pp. 183-185).................................................................................7
2.2 How did the PG’s actions alienate its own core supporters? (pp. 185-188)..........................................................................7
2.3 How did the PG’s actions alienate the left? (pp. 189-191)....................................................................................................8
3. Which was more imp for dissolving the PG’s authority: its own actions or developments beyond its control? (pp. 180-
191)...............................................................................................................................................................................................8
Discussion Questions on David Christian, Imperial & Soviet Russia, Ch7, ‘1917’ – Part B: The Bolsheviks...9
20.02.2023.............................................................................................................................................................9
1. What had been the main obstacles to any progress towards a gov of the Left in the aftermath of the Feb Rev? (pp. 181-
183 & 191-192).............................................................................................................................................................................9
2.1 How did Lenin & his leadership contribute to the rapid rise of the Bolsheviks during 1917? (pp. 192-200)........................9
2.2 How did the situation in Russia post-Feb Rev contribute to the rapid rise of the Bolsheviks during 1917? (pp. 192-200)..9
2.3 How developments after Feb contribute to the rapid rise of the Bolsheviks during 1917? (pp. 199-200).........................10
2.4 Where does Christian put the emphasis in any explanation for the rapid rise of the Bolsheviks during 1917? (pp.192-
200).............................................................................................................................................................................................10
2.5 Evidence of the Bolsheviks rise in power. (pp. 198)............................................................................................................10
3. How were the Bolshevism’s differences from the moderate socialism reflected in the April Theses? (pp. 192-199).........10
4. How much emphasis does Christian give to the April Thesis? (pp. 198-199)........................................................................10
5. Which had the greater impact on the developments of 1917: the July Days or the Kornilov Affair? (pp.199-200).............10
6. How does Christian characterise the preparations for the Oct insurrection? (pp. 200-204)................................................11
Decisions taken by the Provisional Government [30]...............................................................................12
22.02.2023...........................................................................................................................................................12
Question.....................................................................................................................................................................................12
Passage A ~ Evens & Jenkins......................................................................................................................................................12
Passage A’s main points.........................................................................................................................................................12
Evidence for & against 1........................................................................................................................................................12
Evidence for & against 2........................................................................................................................................................12
1
, PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT
Evidence for & against 3........................................................................................................................................................12
Passage B ~ Hans Roger, Russia in the Age of Modernisation and Revolution, 1881-1917......................................................13
Passage A’s main points.........................................................................................................................................................13
Evidence for & against 1........................................................................................................................................................13
Evidence for & against 2........................................................................................................................................................13
Overall........................................................................................................................................................................................13
Teacher’s comments on Passage A............................................................................................................................................14
Teacher’s comments on Passage B............................................................................................................................................14
Massolit lecture: The events of 1917.......................................................................................................15
04.03.2023...........................................................................................................................................................15
Where Dr A. Willimott agrees w D. Christian.............................................................................................................................15
Where Dr A. Willimott disagrees w D. Christian........................................................................................................................15
Reasons for the overthrow of the PG......................................................................................................16
10.03.2023...........................................................................................................................................................16
Land redistribution . ...................................................................................................................................................................16
Land redistribution . ...................................................................................................................................................................16
Nationalities . ..............................................................................................................................................................................16
Nationalities . ..............................................................................................................................................................................16
Industrial conflict . ......................................................................................................................................................................17
Industrial conflict . ......................................................................................................................................................................17
The rise of the Bolsheviks . .........................................................................................................................................................17
The rise of the Bolsheviks . .........................................................................................................................................................17
Kerensky’s actions (Jul-Aug) . .....................................................................................................................................................18
Kerensky’s actions (Jul-Aug) . .....................................................................................................................................................18
Breakdown of army discipline . ..................................................................................................................................................18
Breakdown of army discipline . ..................................................................................................................................................18
Reasons why the PG was overthrown [30] plan......................................................................................19
23.03.2023...........................................................................................................................................................19
Question.....................................................................................................................................................................................19
Key..............................................................................................................................................................................................19
Passage A: Adapted from M. Lynch, From Autocracy to Communism Russia 1894-1941, published in 2008..........................19
Overall points.........................................................................................................................................................................19
Ppl took action themselves....................................................................................................................................................19
PG failed to solve Russia’s problems.....................................................................................................................................19
Passage B: Adapted from G. L. Freeze, Russia: A History, published in 2009............................................................................21
Overall points.........................................................................................................................................................................21
Industrial conflict...................................................................................................................................................................21
Bolsheviks exploited the situation.........................................................................................................................................21
Thesis..........................................................................................................................................................................................22
Reasons why the PG was overthrown [30] Answer..................................................................................22
23.03.2023...........................................................................................................................................................22
Answer........................................................................................................................................................................................22
2
, PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT
TIMELINE OF EVENTS (& THEIR IMPORTANCE)
10.02.2023
Date Key event
30 Dec 16 Rasputin murdered by members of the aristocracy.
8 Mar 17 International Women’s Day brings vast crowds on to the streets of Petrograd
Contributed to the abdication of the Tsar.
Establishes a precedent that popular demonstrations can succeed – demonstrations
against the gov continue throughout 1917.
After this, ppl tend to follow instructions that they like (part of the reason why the
Petrograd Soviet Order No_1 was obeyed so widely).
Sets a precedent that this is how to respond to economic distress.
14 Mar 17 Duma deputies form a PG to take over Russia from the Tsar.
14 Mar 17 Petrograd Soviet issues Order No_ 1
Instructed soldiers & sailors to obey their officers & the PG only if their orders did
not contradict the decrees of the Petrograd Soviet.
Units were run by committees, to whom all weapons were handed to.
Meant the PG would have to rely on the Bolsheviks to counteract uprisings.
B/c the soviet was meant to be representative of most of the Petrograd pop, it had
quite a bit of authority among the ppl.
The fact that the order was obeyed (not only in Petrograd, but also across Russia)
undermined the authority of the PG.
BUT for the first ½ yr, the committees listened to their officers & were not
disruptive.
14-15 MAR 17 N2 abdicates in his railway carriage when his generals w/draw their support.
16 – 21 APR 17 Lenin returns to Petrograd from exile & published his political manifesto (aka April Thesis)
April Thesis demanded no co-op w the PG & an end to Russia’s involvement in WWI.
Not immediately imp – the April Thesis was not initially popular.
But the April Thesis did further undermine the PG’s authority.
Imp in the development of the revolutionary movement in Russia – suggested that it
was possible to speed up the process of revolution that Marx suggests & bring abt a
communist state.
Lenin’s alternative view became more appealing after Russia’s failed offensive &
other issues (e.g. Kornilov coup).
1 -19 JUL 17 Failed Russian army offensive against Austrians in Galicia
Imp b/c the Tsar was seen as the reason for Russian military losses, so w/o the Tsar,
ppl expected a success.
This undermined the rep of the PG & demoralised the Russian army (desertions
became much more common).
But there was already quite a lot of discontent abt the war (300% inflation, etc).
Jul - Aug 17 Unsuccessful attempt by Bolsheviks to seize power (aka July Days) leads to the arrest of
Trotsky & Lenin flees to Finland.
10 - 13 Sep 17 Kornilov’s military coup (aka Kornilov affair) against PG foiled.
14 Sep 17 Kerensky replaces Prince Lvov as PM of the PG.
20 Sep 17 Trotsky appointed Chairman of Petrograd Soviet’s Military Revolutionary Committee.
7 Nov 17 Gunfire from the battleship Aurora signals start of storming of the Winter Palace
Important b/c it represents a turning point when the Bolsheviks took power – later
used for propaganda.
Palace is symbolic if power - former Tsar’s palace, headquarters of the PG
3
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