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Summary The Provisional Government's main mistake was to carry on the war. The burden proved disastrous as it tried to face the threat of the Bolshevik Communists, who were working through the Soviets to bring down the government. Gradually, events spiralled out of the Provisional Government's control.
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Going DeeperThe following links will help you widen your knowledge: BBC Bitesize - Weaknesses of the Provisional Government Old Bitesize - simple intro (pdf)
Old textbook accounts of the Provisional Government PJ Larkin, Revolution in Russia (1965) Norman Lowe, Mastering Modern World History (1988)
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The Provisional GovernmentThe February Revolution was a popular uprising which brought the middle class to power. The Duma took over the government, and it set up a ‘provisional government’ – a temporary 12-man executive led by Alexander Kerensky. It was a moderate government and – although faced by difficult problems – it tried to rule Russia in a way which was not too revolutionary. From the beginning, the Provisional Government faced a challenge from the Petrograd 'Soviet' – a committee of some 3,000 delegates set up on 2 March, which held the allegiance of workers and soldiers ... to the extent that the Provisional Government is sometimes called the 'dual government'.
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Events of the Provisional Government March The Provisional Government was faced by massive problems (inflation, hunger, peasant riots, war, Bolshevik and Tsarist revolutionaries). The Petrograd Soviet issued Order No. 1 – workers and soldiers must obey the Provisional Government only if the Soviet agrees. However, the Soviets were still controlled by the Mensheviks (moderate Communists). April The German government smuggled the Bolshevik leader Lenin back into Russia. He published his manifesto: the ‘April Theses’. Riots; the Provisional Government took in some Socialist/Menshevik from the Soviet ('First Coalition') June Failure of the June military offensive against Austria. July Riots 16-20 July – the July Days – were defeated; the Bolshevik leaders were arrested and Pravda closed down. The First Coalition collapsed, and on 24 July Kerensky formed a 'Second Coalition' with some Socialist/Menshevik from the Soviet; the government confirmed freedom of speech, and the rght to form trade unions and strike. September The monarchist General Kornilov revolted (10-13 September), but was defeated ... by Bolshevik forces. The Second Coalition collapsed; Kerenksy patched together a 'Pre-Parliament' (14 October) including Kadets and landowners, postponed elections and land reform, and dismissed the Duma – he was accused of preparing to become a dictator. Septermber-October The Bolsheviks took control in the Soviets of many cities,including the Petrograd Soviet (Trotsky became its President). Bolshevik Revolution.
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Consider:1. Which was the biggest problem facing the Provisional Government? 2 Which was the turning point in the fortunes of the Bolsheviks - the time after which their success became likely?
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Problems of the Provisional Government[Government That’s Provisional Will Be Killed]
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Problems/ Weaknesses |
Action |
Success/ Failure? |
1. GovernmentThe Petrograd Soviet was very powerful – it built up a nation-wide network of Soviets which took their orders from it. Order Number 1 forbade soldiers and workers to obey the provisional Government unless the Soviet agreed. When Kerensky ordered to sea the battleship Aurora (with its Bolshevik sailors), Trotsky countermanded him. (ie the govt. was powerless to act unless the Soviet agreed.)
By November Kerensky was isolated and without support because his
Pre-Parliament (which included half a dozen Kadets and dismissed the
Duma) seemed to be setting up a dictatorship. |
The Provisional Government did nothing to try to end the power of the Soviets. |
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2. Terrible conditionsThere were desperate shortages of food – for example, only one-tenth of the prewar milk supply was reaching Petrograd. inflation ran out of control – paper notes (the 'Kerensky') were worthless. People looted storehouses, and hung onto their old tsarist paper money. (ie the people lost confidence in the Government.) |
The Provisional Government made the food shortages and inflation worse because it didn’t end the war and just printed money to pay for it. |
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3. PeasantsThe peasantry set up their own Unions, societies and district & regional Congresses … and made their own laws for their own area. They started taking the nobles' land. There were 1,500 peasant uprisings in August-October. (ie the Government lost control of the countryside.) |
The Provisional Government sent troops to take back the land. This made the peasants very angry
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4. WarThe Provisional Government tried to continue the war. It attacked Austria in June 1917, but after initial successes, the Germans moved in and the Russians were defeated. The war was a disaster. A million soldiers deserted; those who remained disobeyed and even killed their officers. There was a naval mutiny. On 2 November Kerensky had to sack his War Minister, who wanted to surrender to the Germans. (ie the governmeent lost control of the war AND the army.) |
The Provisional Government set up ‘death squads’ to execute deserters. This made things worse – by October 1917, soldiers were deserting, going home, killing the landlords, and taking land. |
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5. BolsheviksLenin returned and published his plans for Russia: the ‘April Theses’ (‘Peace, Bread, Land’; ‘all power to the Soviets’; state ownership of factories and banks). They tried to take over the government during the riots of the ‘July Days’. (ie government under attack) |
The Provisional Government allowed freedom of speech and the press, and released political prisoners After the July Days, the Provisional Government arrested the leaders, but let the Bolshevik Party continue. This HELPED the Bolsheviks.
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6. Kornilov RevoltGeneral Kornilov tried a right-wing army coup in September 1917. (ie government under attack)
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The Provisional Government had no control of the army and had to ask the Bolsheviks to help it. This made the government seem weak AND made the Bolsheviks popular (they took control of the Soviets).
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Source AIt is perhaps surprising that the provisional government should have survived at all, since its members had simply been co-opted from a Duma elected before the war. Anthony Wood, The Russian Revolution (1976)
Source BThe increasingly radical challenge to traditional authority by the peasants, workers and soldiers dictated the course of the revolution and sealed the fate of the Provisional Government… The people needed … a party with a programme that coincided with theirs – this is where the Bolsheviks come in. Graham Darby, The Russian Revolution (1998)
Source CThe most persistent problem was the war against Germany. The Provisional Government had to keep Russia fighting in the war so that it could get money and supplies from its allies. Russia would have collapsed without this money. However, continuing with the war stopped the Provisional Government from dealing with Russia’s severe social and economic problems. So, the Provisional Government had to keep Russia in the war, but continuing to fight ruined the Provisional Government’s chances of survival.. Michael Lynch, Russia 1894–1941 (2008)
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Consider:3. Why do you think people hung onto their old Tsarist paper money? How is it a sign that people had lost confidence in the Government? 4. Study Sources A-C. If you were writing a 6-paragraph essay on 'The Problems of the Provisional Government' based on the six problems/weaknesses suggested on this webpage, in which paragraph would you quote each source? 5. Writing his book on the Russian Revolution, Orlando Figes titled this chapter: 'The Agony of the Provisional Government'. Having studied this webpage, suggest reasons why he chose that title. Do you agree that it is an appropriate title? Think of a better one. 6. Was the Provisional Government 'doomed from the start'? 7. 'The biggest problem facing the Provisional Government was that it lacked authority.' How far do you agree with this interpretation?
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