The Kornilov Revolt, 1917

What was the Kornilov Revolt?

The Kornilov Revolt, or the Kornilov Coup, was an unsuccessful coup by part of the army against the Russian Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet.

Who was the leader of the Kornilov Revolt?

General Lavr Kornilov was Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army from July to September 1917. He was the leader of the Kornilov Revolt.

When was the Kornilov Revolt?

It happened from 27th to 30th August, 1917, using the old calendar. (In the new calendar, 10th to 13th September, 1917).

Why did the Kornilov Revolt happen?

There are 2 main reasons why the Kornilov Revolt occurred:

• ❖ Prime Minister Kerensky aimed to improve army discipline so that Russia could win the First World War. He appointed General Kornilov as the commander-in-chief of the army to bring about this change.
• ❖ General Kornilov wanted Kerensky to declare martial law and close down the soviets. Kerensky refused and sacked Kornilov who reacted by sending troops to Petrograd.

What happened during the Kornilov Revolt?

There were 4 key events during the Kornilov Revolt:

• ❖ On 24th August, General Kornilov ordered troops to Petrograd to close down the Petrograd Soviet.
• ❖ Kerensky called on the Petrograd Soviet to defend the city and allowed them to arm the Red Guard and in return he freed the Bolshevik prisoners arrested in the July Days uprising.
• ❖ General Kornilov's route into the city was blocked by railway workers.
• ❖ The Bolsheviks stopped General Kornilov and he was arrested on 1st September, 1917.

What were the results of the Kornilov Revolt?

The Kornilov Revolt affected the government and had 5 other important consequences:

• ❖ It weakened the position of the Provisional Government. They lost support from the right-wing because they had given weapons to the Bolsheviks. They lost support from the left-wing because Kerensky had tried to compromise with Kornilov at first.
• ❖ The Bolsheviks had more support because they had defended Petrograd from General Kornilov and now they had weapons.
• ❖ Membership of the Bolshevik Party increased by about 100,000 by October.
• ❖ Because their position was strengthened, the Bolsheviks were able to gain control of the Petrograd Soviet by September 1917.
• ❖ Morale and discipline in the army decreased even more.