The Provisional Government

What was the Provisional Government?

The Provisional Government was the temporary government set up in Russia after Tsar Nicholas II abdicated and the tsarist government collapsed.

When was the Provisional Government created?

The Provisional Government was created on 2nd March, 1917.

Who set up the Provisional Government?

The Provisional Government was created by 12 members of the fourth Duma. The initial leader was Prince Lvov, a liberal.

Who were the members of the Provisional Government?

The Provisional Government:

• ❖ Consisted of 12 members of the fourth Duma.
• ❖ Was led by Prince Lvov, a liberal, from March until July.
• ❖ Was led by Alexander Kerensky, a Socialist Revolutionary, from July until October.
• ❖ The other members were a mixture of Kadets and Octobrists.

What were the weaknesses of the Provisional Government?

The Provisional Government (PG) had 4 key weaknesses:

• ❖ It lacked authority because it shared power with the Petrograd Soviet.
• ❖ It lacked legitimacy because it didn't represent the people. It was made up of mainly upper class men and was not elected by the population.
• ❖ It lacked power because the Petrograd Soviet's Order Number One gave the Soviet control of the armed forces.
• ❖ It was not responsible for all areas of government because the Petrograd Soviet controlled some, such as the transport system and soldiers.

What were the key actions of the Provisional Government?

The Provisional Government took 3 key actions:

• ❖ On 3rd March 1917, it published its eight principles of government including complete political and religious amnesty which allowed political prisoners to be released from prison, freedom of speech, and the setting up of a Constituent Assembly.
• ❖ It published a set of decrees including an eight hour working day, minimum wage, the abolition of the death sentence and the confiscation of all Crown lands.
• ❖ It launched the June Offensive which was unsuccessful and led to the loss of 400,000 men and mutinies. Kerensky, the Minister of War, was blamed and it led to more social unrest.

What mistakes did the Provisional Government make?

The Provisional Government made 5 key mistakes:

• ❖ It continued the war with Germany. It had little choice as the Allies threatened to cut off financial aid if Russia pulled out of the war.
• ❖ It did not successfully deal with the issue of shortages of food and goods. Its economic measures, such as an increase in income tax, were just ignored.
• ❖ It did not address the needs of the peasants. They wanted more land from the landlords but the Provisional Government did nothing because, in reality, it had little control over most of Russia and it would cost too much money.
• ❖ The Provisional Government introduced decrees which increased people's rights, including the ability to criticise its actions.
• ❖ It did not arrange elections, which made it seem the Provisional Government wanted to keep its power.

What difference did the Provisional Government make to the course of the First World War in Russia?

The Provisional Government did little to address the military problems on the Eastern Front. This was significant to the outcome of the war on the Eastern Front for 2 main reasons:

• ❖ The June Offensive ended the ability of the Russian Army to continue the fight. It destroyed what was left of the armies morale.
• ❖ The faith that many soldiers had in their new government to end the war was lost.

What are historians' opinions on the effectiveness of the Provisional Government rule Russia in 1917?

Historians debate how effectively the Provisional Government ruled Russia during its brief time in power.

How was the Provisional Government effective?

There were 4 main ways that the Provisional Government ruled Russia effectively:

• ❖ It appealed to the people through its liberal approach. Its key principles included freedom of speech, the release of political prisoners and the abolition of the death sentence.
• ❖ It passed decrees to improve working conditions including a minimum wage and an eight hour working day.
• ❖ It always intended to set up a Constituent Assembly which would provide democratic elections.
• ❖ They effectively dealt with the riots and uprisings during the July Days and the Kornilov revolt.

How was the Provisional Government ineffective?

There were 9 main ways the Provisional Government was ineffective in ruling Russia:

• ❖ It never really achieved full authority over the country because it had to share power with the Petrograd Soviet.
• ❖ The Petrograd Soviet had control of the army due to Order Number One.
• ❖ It was unelected and didn't really represent the people as it was mainly made up of aristocrats.
• ❖ It was responsible for the disastrous June Offensive where 400,000 men were lost.
• ❖ It failed to deal with the problems of hunger and had to bring in food rationing.
• ❖ It was reliant on the Petrograd Soviet and the Bolsheviks to put down the Kornilov revolt.
• ❖ It failed to deal with land distribution which was the main grievance for the Russian peasants.
• ❖ It failed to pull Russia out of the war, which meant it failed to solve many of the problems which caused the downfall of the tsar in the first place.
• ❖ The increase in support for the Bolsheviks demonstrates how unpopular the Provisional Government became. Their famous slogan, "Peace, Land, Bread", represented the key areas where the Provisional Government failed to deliver.