Dual Authority

Question 1

Tsar’s Abdication

Answer 1

2nd March 1917
Causes:
Poor war effort which he was in charge of: soldier mutinies, losing war
Rasputin: influenced poor decision of the war, unpopular amongst nobles.
Economic situation in Russia: food shortages and riots, inflation, cost of living.
Went to front lines, people felt abandoned
Workers: closing of trade unions, suspension of labour newspapers
Duma often ignored and dismissed

Question 2

Who

Answer 2

March 1917:
1)Provisional government - largely leading figures of Kadets and Kerensky.
Prime Minister: Prince Lvov.
Vowed to run until Constituent Assembly in Nov.

2)Petrograd Soviet - largely Mensheviks, focused on working class, represented soldiers ( Order No. 1: soldiers not to listen to Prov Gov).
Didn’t claim to be supreme authority to not be accountable for all decisions

Question 3

War

Answer 3

Provisional Government divided on how to handle war: defensive war (socialists) / push for territory (Milykov) / separate peace with Germany (end war for Russia but lose territory). Didn’t take any action
1917: Summer Offensive - Russia launched a major offensive, went terribly. Kerensky didn’t have support of soldiers, fraternisation between Russian and German troops.

Question 4

Land

Answer 4

Peasant wanted land with government approval.
Prov. Gov reluctant wanted CA to deal with land, compensation for landowners, thought peasant soldiers would desert if they got land. Indecisive so left it for CA.
Peasants took it for themselves, 237 cases of land seizure in July 1937.

Question 5

National Minorities

Answer 5

Finns and Poles wanted independence.
Ukrainians demanded self government.
Wanted out of the war
Liberals wanted Russia to stay together.

Question 6

Economic Situation

Answer 6

1914-1917: Inflation at around 700% for food, wages could not keep up and were almost worthless.
Fuel and materials shortages caused 568 factories to shut down causing 100,000 jobs to be lost
Caused scarcity of manufactured goods thus more inflation.
1917: Poor harvests, peasants unwilling to sell grain due to inflation
Prov. Gov requisitioned grain which caused hostility.

Question 7

July Days

Answer 7

Riots broke out due to economic issues, failed summer offensive and fears of the Petrograd Garrison that they’d be sent to the front lines next.
20,000 armed sailors from Kronstadt marched to Tauride Palace to demand Soviets take power-seized Chernov but he was released.
Encouraged by middle ranking Bolsheviks, but no leadership so it lost momentum and ended.
Lenin distanced himself from it

Question 8

Lenin and the Bolsheviks

Answer 8

1917: Lenin’s April Thesis - calls for Soviet to take power and stop working with Prov. Gov, land to be given to peasants, end to war and worldwide Socialist revolution.
Bolsheviks grew in support due to this and the poor work of Prov. Gov
But July Days caused arrests and bad reputation.
Lenin accused of being backed by Germans by Prov. Gov, leading Bolsheviks arrested and Lenin in hiding.
Kornilov Affair legitimised them.
Had 33% of votes in Petrograd City Duma, grew in popularity

Question 9

The Kornilov Affair

Answer 9

Kornilov appointed by Kerensky to bring law, order and discipline to Petrograd.
Kornilov wanted to seize control of the government and establish military control using the support of his soldiers.
Kerensky armed the Bolshevik Red Guard (legitimising them), and the Bolsheviks organised soldiers and workers to defend Petrograd.
Kornilov’s didn’t arrive in Petrograd and he was arrested.