Russian Provisional Government

Russian Provisional Government. The Russian Provisional Government was the short-lived national authority established in the wake of the February Revolution of 1917, which overthrew the Romanov dynasty and Tsar Nicholas II. It governed the Russian Republic from March to November 1917, a period marked by intense political struggle, continued involvement in World War I, and escalating social unrest. Its authority was fatally contested by the Petrograd Soviet and ultimately overthrown by the Bolsheviks during the October Revolution.

Formation and composition

The government was formed on 15 March 1917 by the Provisional Committee of the State Duma, which had assumed authority during the February Revolution. Its first cabinet, led by Minister-Chairman Georgy Lvov, was composed predominantly of liberal and moderate socialist politicians from the Kadets and Octobrist parties. Key initial figures included Pavel Milyukov as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Alexander Guchkov as Minister of War. The government declared itself provisional pending the election of a Constituent Assembly, which was to determine the nation's future political structure. This self-limiting mandate, combined with its origins in the pre-revolutionary State Duma, led many radicals to view it as an extension of the old regime.

Policies and challenges

The Provisional Government immediately faced monumental challenges, most prominently the ongoing First World War. Under pressure from the Entente, it pledged to continue the war effort, a deeply unpopular policy that eroded its support among soldiers and workers. Domestically, it enacted sweeping reforms, including the abolition of the Okhrana, the grant of amnesty to political prisoners, and the establishment of freedoms of speech, press, and assembly. However, it deferred critical social and economic issues—most notably land redistribution and an end to the war—to the future Constituent Assembly. This procrastination, amid severe food shortages in cities like Petrograd and collapsing morale at the front, fueled widespread discontent and radicalization.

Relationship with the Petrograd Soviet

The government's authority was severely constrained by its uneasy power-sharing arrangement with the Petrograd Soviet, a council of workers' and soldiers' deputies. The Soviet, dominated by the Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries, issued its own Order No. 1, which undermined military discipline by placing army units under the control of elected committees. This created the system of Dual Power, wherein the Provisional Government required the Soviet's approval for major decisions. Figures like Alexander Kerensky served as a crucial link, holding the post of Minister of Justice and later Minister of War in the government while also sitting on the Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet. This fragile coalition struggled to assert effective control over the country.

July Days and the rise of Kornilov

In early July 1917, spontaneous armed demonstrations by soldiers, sailors from Kronstadt, and workers—the July Days—erupted in Petrograd, demanding "All Power to the Soviets." The Bolsheviks initially hesitated but later supported the movement, which was suppressed by government troops. In the aftermath, Kerensky replaced Lvov as Minister-Chairman, and the government cracked down on the Bolsheviks, issuing an arrest warrant for Vladimir Lenin. Seeking to restore order and military discipline, Kerensky appointed General Lavr Kornilov as Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army. In late August, Kornilov marched troops on Petrograd in what was perceived as an attempted coup. Kerensky, forced to arm the Bolshevik Red Guards to defend the capital, saw the government's authority irreparably damaged, while Bolshevik prestige soared.

October Revolution and dissolution

By October 1917, the government, now led from the Winter Palace by Kerensky, had lost virtually all public support. The Bolsheviks, under the leadership of Lenin, Leon Trotsky, and the Military Revolutionary Committee, capitalized on this weakness. On 7 November 1917, Red Guards seized key points in Petrograd, including the Peter and Paul Fortress and Smolny Institute, in a nearly bloodless insurrection. The October Revolution culminated with the storming of the Winter Palace and the arrest of most of the cabinet, though Kerensky escaped. The government was formally dissolved, and power was transferred to the Council of People's Commissars, marking the beginning of Bolshevik rule and the Russian Civil War.

Category:Governments of Russia Category:Russian Revolution Category:1917 in Russia Category:Defunct provisional governments