The Provisional Government that ruled Russia after the February Revolution faced several weaknesses and mistakes that undermined its authority. It lacked a strong power base since it had simply assumed leadership without a popular mandate. It was also unable to resolve important issues like land reform in a timely manner. Additionally, the Provisional Government struggled to end Russian participation in World War I as desired by the Petrograd Soviet, which exercised power through the Bolshevik-controlled Red Guards. Several crises, like the June offensive and Kornilov Affair, further weakened the Provisional Government and strengthened the Bolsheviks.

1. The Provisional Government
Learning Objectives: How did the Provisional Government have authority without
power and the Petrograd Soviet have power without authority? Examine the
mistakes and weakness of the Provisional Government?
Key Terms, Events,
Names: Prince Lvov,
Constituent Assembly,
Alexander Kerensky,
Petrograd Soviet, April
Thesis, Bolsheviks,
Vladimir Lenin, Order
No 1, Red Guards,
General Lavr Kornilov,
June Offensive, July
Days

2. Setting up the
Provisional Government
• March 2, 1917 the Provisional
Committee named itself the
Provisional Government with
Prince Lvov as the Prime
Minister.
• They assumed responsibility
for governing Russia until the
formal Constituent Assembly
could take place. These
elections were planned for
November.
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

3. Setting up the
Provisional Government
• The cabinet was made up
of mostly liberals and
moderates.
• As they had simply
‘assumed’ the role as
government, they were
unwilling to convene the
elections too quickly as
they needed time to gain
support amongst the
Russian public.
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

4. Initial Reforms
In its first few weeks, the Provisional
Govt. released several populist
decrees including:
• Recognising trade unions
• 8-hour day for industrial workers
• abolishing the Tsar’s secret police,
the Okhrana
• Freedom of speech, assembly and
press.
• Universal suffrage
• Release of political prisoners
• Commitment to convene a
popularly-elected constituent
assembly.
Photograph of Provisional
Government Ministers, 1917
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

5. Alexander Kerensky
• Elected to the Duma in 1912 as a
member of the Socialist
Revolutionaries and loved for his
emotional speeches.
• Key in setting up the provisional
Government and negotiating with
the crowds.
• Became Minster of Justice and
also a member of Petrograd Soviet.
Key bridge between two
Governing bodies.
• Became more and more important.
Minister of War to Prime Minister.
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

6. Issue 1: The War
• The Provisional Government could
only survive on loans and war credits
from its wartime allies - this meant
they were locked into the war.
• Russia’s tactical position in 1917 was
poor, and any peace overture with
Germany would probably result in
significant territory and resource
losses.
• The Soviets were keen to achieve
peace that recognised the self-
determination of nations, without
aggressive or victorious annexations
(taking over other territories).
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

7. Issue 2: Land
• Many village communes had been seizing
land from their owners since February and
this was not totally opposed by the
Provisional Government.
• However, the job of reorganising land across
the whole nation was too large for the
bureaucracy within the government
particularly with the focus on War.
• There was also not enough money to pay the
landowners compensation.
• They decided to delay the resolving of this
issue until after the Constituent Assembly
was elected and in the meantime, peasants
continued to seize land.
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

8. Issue 3: The Petrograd
Soviet
• In the same building, the Tauride
Palace another Government was
also forming.
• The Petrograd Soviet issued
Soviet Order No 1 on March 1.
• This order placed the Soviet
under the control of the military
and agreed to follow the duma
“only in such cases as they do not
conflict with the orders and
resolution of the Soviet”
• The Provisional Government could
only carry out its decisions only if
the Soviets agreed.
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

9. Role of Lenin and the
Bolsheviks
• Vladimir Lenin was in Switzerland
during the February Revolution.
• He negotiated with the German
government and was able to gain
safe passage back to Russia in a
sealed train.
• It was in Germany’s interests to
have Russian revolutionaries
such as Lenin who were opposed to
the war causing issues for the
Provisional Government.
• Lenin arrived on 3 April and spoke
at Finland Station in Petrograd.
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

10. Lenin’s April Thesis
• Lenin called the Provisional
Government ‘parliamentary
bourgeois’ and rejected any
cooperation with them.
• He demanded an end to the war
and had two key slogans ‘Peace,
Bread, Land’ (addressing the
main concerns of the Russian
people) and ‘All Power to the
Soviets’ (emphasised a belief that
only the Petrograd Soviet should
form the new revolutionary
government)
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

11. Lenin’s April Thesis
• His April Thesis declared no
support for the Provisional
Government and his program would
soon unite the Bolsheviks with a
common cause.
• Lenin’s support of the Soviets would
provide him with a power base from
which he could launch a challenge
to the Provisional Government.
• This Thesis would become a
blueprint for Revolution, inspiring and
organising the Bolsheviks under a
common cause in October.
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

12. The June Offensive 1917
• May 1917 - the Provisional
Government declared it would
commit to a defensive war
without annexations in order to
satisfy the Soviets.
• In an attempt to keep the
Germans and Austrians from
Russian territory Kerensky
(Minister for War) and General
Brusilov embarked on a major
offensive in the southwestern
front in June.
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

13. The June Offensive 1917
• In the lead up to the offensive,
soldiers were already deserting
from their posts with 170,000
deserting by the time the
offensive began.
• For those that remained, many
were poorly trained or under
equipped for the effort.
• June 16, whilst achieving some
success early on, the Russians
were soon faced with German
counter attack.
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

14. The June Offensive 1917
• In the end, the June Offensive lost
the Russians several hundred
thousand men as well as a
significant amount of land
territory.
• What started as an opportunity to
promote patriotism amongst the
Russian troops, ended in a
chaotic defeat.
• Prince Lvov resigned as Prime
Minister and was replaced by
Kerensky.
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

15. The July Days
• July 1917 - Trotsky addresses the
Petrograd Garrison (1st Machine Gun
Regiment) (who had remained in
Petrograd during the June Offensive)
and criticised Kerensky for his pursuit
of the June Offensive.
• He demanded power be immediately
handed to the Soviet and as a
consequence the following day
thousands took to the streets
demanding that the Provisional
Government hand over power.
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

16. The July Days
• 20,000 Kronstadt naval base
sailors and 20,000 workers
from the Putilov Steel Works
supported those protesting and
carried large banners stating
‘Peace, Bread, Land’ and ‘All
Power to the Soviets’
• However, only half the
Regiment joined the
demonstration.
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

17. Consequences of the
July Days
• Kerensky recalled troops from
the Front to suppress the
uprising.
• Whether or not the Bolsheviks
organised the protests, they
were heavily involved and thus
attacked and blamed in the days
following.
• 6 July, the Provisional
Government ordered the arrest
of 11 key Bolshevik leaders for
high treason.
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

18. Consequences of the
July Days
• Lenin escaped to Finland and in
all 800 Bolsheviks were arrested.
• The Bolshevik paper Pravda was
banned and party headquarters
were raided with documents
seized to show that they were
receiving funds from the
Germans.
• Kerensky portrayed the
Bolsheviks as traitors but did
not put them on trial.
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

19. Historians Views
• Bolshevik involvement in the demonstrations is debated by historians.
• Richard Pipes - it was a failed Bolshevik coup d’etat (attempt to overthrow the
government) that failed because Lenin lost his nerve. He asserts, the
Bolsheviks attempted to distance themselves from the event after it failed.
• Sheila Fitzpatrick agrees that the event exposed the weaknesses of the
Bolsheviks and argues that it was their lack of preparedness that meant they
failed to seize power.
• The Communist Party of the Soviet Union maintains: “The Bolshevik Party
was opposed to armed action at that time, for it considered that the
revolutionary crisis had not yet matured…But when it became obviously
impossible to keep the masses from demonstrating, the Party resolved to
participate in the demonstration in order to lend it a peaceful and
organised character. This the Bolshevik Party succeed in doing”
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

20. The Kornilov Affair:
August 1917
• General Lavr Kornilov was a celebrated
war hero in Russia and commander of the
Cossacks.
• After the February Revolution he was
appointed commander of the Petrograd
garrison but demanded to be sent back
to the Front after conflicts with the
Petrograd Soviet.
• After the failed June Offensive he wanted
a move to right-wing policies including
restoration of the death penalty for
breaches of army discipline, banning
strikes and reducing the power of the
soviets.
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

21. Timeline to the Kornilov
Revolt
• 18 July - Kerensky appoints Kornilov supreme
commander of the Russian Army.
• August - both men attend a state conference in
Moscow.
• After the conference, Kornilov was involved in other
discussions about how government authority might
be strengthened and radical socialism crushed.
He met several wealthy Russians onboard a train
and sought their moral and financial backing for the
military occupation of Petrograd.
• Claiming that he had Kerensky’s support Kornilov
intended to march troops into the capital, arrest the
Bolsheviks, disperse the Soviet and restore
order (highly unlikely, as Kerensky had previously
been a member of the Petrograd Soviet and was
much more liberal).
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

22. Timeline to the Kornilov
Revolt
• When Kerensky heard rumours of Kornilov’s plans,
he immediately contacted his general by telegram to
seek confirmation of his intentions.
• Kornilov responded but his answer did not satisfy
Kerensky who was now sure he was planning a
military coup.
• Kerensky sacked Kornilov and called on the
Petrograd Soviet to protect the government. These
troops (many of whom were Bolshevik Red Guards)
were given arms and ammunition to guard the city
from a possible assault.
• At the insistence of the Soviet, several Bolshevik
leaders (including Trotsky) were released from
prison.
• In the end, Kornilov’s troops did not even reach
Petrograd as they were stopped by railway workers.
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?

23. The Bolshevik Red
Guard
• To defend Petrograd, Kerensky allowed
the Bolsheviks to set up a defense force
called the Red Guards.
• 25,000 Bolsheviks had become armed
with rifles and machine guns in a matter
of days.
• Kornilov’s troops refused to fight fellow
workers and Kornilov was arrested.
• The Bolsheviks were heroes saving the
Provisional Government, how could they
by German agents as they were
previously accused.
• Came away also with an armed fighting
force and strengthened positions in
Petrograd Soviet.
LO: Examine the
mistakes and
weakness of the
Provisional
Government?