Provisional Government Febuary 1917 - October 1917 [Depth] Flashcards
Nicholas II [1894-1917]
St. Petersberg Strikes and Reaction by gov During WW1
[Jan-25th Feb 1917]
During the waining hours of the Romanov Dynisty and Tsarism, and during the First world war, Stikes Broke out in St P:
• [January 1917]
– strikes to commemorate the anniversary of Bloody Sunday [1905]
– further strikes about food shortages, brings workers onto the streets.
• [ 14th Febuary 1917]
– saw further strikes about food shortages & poor working conditions.
• Even the State Duma complained to the government about food shortages
– government made this worse, announcing rationing would be
extended, for bread.
– This led to panic buying and even more shortages.
• [23rd February 1917]– thousands of women marched in the streets for International
Women’s Day.
– There was also a strike from workers from the Putilov works.
– Over 100,000 strikers on the streets.
• [24th February 1917]
– marchers and strikers, were joined by Soviets demonstrating about:
– food shortages
– rationing
– demanding an 8 hour day
• [25th Febuary 1917]
– 200,000 strikers
Gov Reaction on 25th:
– the government police arrested many:
– demonstrators
AND
– newspapers were shut
– Shut public transport.
Nicholas II [1894-1917]
St. Petersburg Strikes [1917]
Problems Created By the Army and Duma for the Tsar
[To the 28th Feb 1917]
• The Tsar & government started to lose control & support from the armed forces
– Cossack troops refused to fire on demonstrators
– Pavlovsky Lifeguards refused to
obey orders
– the Volinsky Regiment mutinied & even joined the rebels.
• State Duma - was told to disband by the Tsar
– instead they created a 12 man
committee to take over the running of the country.
• By [28th February 1917]
– the Tsar had lost control over the workers, armed forces & Duma.
• The Tsar offered a power share with the Duma
– however their leader: Rodzianko refused.
Nicholas II [1894-1917]
Strikes in St. Petersburg [1917]
Order N⁰1 [1st March 1917]
• [March 1st 1917]
– the workers soviets had joined together to make the Petrograd
Soviet.
– They quickly announced:
• Order Number 1
– (to gain control over the armed
forces)
– which demanded the superiority of the Soviet over other powers
– (soon to be the Provisional Government)
– all officers should be elected by Petrograd Soviet members.
Nicholas II [1894-1917]
The Abdication of Tsar Nicholas II
[28th Feb - 2nd March 1917]
• Nicholas tried to return to Petrograd on [28th February 1917]
– his train was stopped by anti-government protesters.
• Members of the State Duma convinced him of the
need to abdicate
– in order to bring stability & peace.
• Nicholas nominated his brother, Grand Duke Michael to succeed him.
– however, he refused & Russia then ceased to have a monarchy
• Nicholas II, The Romanovs and Tsardom, Abdecated [2nd March 1917]
The Provisional Government [Mar-Oct 1917]
Formation 2nd march
• [2nd March 1917], the same day of Abdication: The Provisional Government was formed
– with members of the State Duma.
– Prince Lvov is announced as Prime Minister.
The Provisional Government [Mar-Oct 1917]
Early Reforms and problems in the Provisional Gov
Reforms were introduced to highlight that Russia was now a liberal, democratic country (introduced by the Provisional Government – also supported by the Petrograd Soviet). E.g.:
• Freedom of the press, religion, speech, no censorship etc.
• Abolition of the Okhrana (Secret Police), right to trial by jury etc.
• Release of political prisoners.
• Preparations for a Constituent Assembly
– with free elections to create a new democratic government later in the year.
• Although these reforms were praised for their liberal values
– they also released potential threats to the Provisional Government
– through release of political prisoners & relaxation of censorship
The Provisional Government [Mar-Oct 1917]
Problems: Political Authority
Provisional Government
Promblems of Political Authority of the Provisional Government
• Problem of legitimacy:
– members had been part of the State Duma:
– as a group who had asked for reform from the Tsar.
– Therefore, they had connections with the old order
– had not been elected.
• Dominated by Octobrists & Kadets
– however these were minority groups & centrist
– therefore not reflective of the growing popularity of more radical and left wing parties such as the Bolsheviks or SR.
The Provisional Government [Mar-Oct 1917]
Problems with political Authority:
Petrograd Soviet
Problems with Political authority also was seen within the Petrograd Soviet:
• This had developed from the numerous workers, soldiers & sailors soviets, that developed in February.
• By [June]
– it had developed further into the All Russian Soviet
– this (like the PG) also declared the right to make laws
– e.g. the Order Number 1 – for preferential control over the army.
The Provisional Government [Mar-Oct 1917]
Problems with Political Authority:
Dual Authority
Problems with Political Authority were summed up by the Dual Authority System:
• from [March-October 1917] – both the PG & Petrograd Soviet shared political power.
• There were some areas of collaboration
– In May, 6 members of the Soviet joined the PG (e.g. Skobelev as Minister of Labour).
Also
– Kerensky was Vice
Chairman of the Petrograd Soviet & became leader of the PG in July.
• Differences
– the PG was still mainly liberal, but the Petrograd Soviet became
increasingly left wing & radical,
– e.g. by October the leading Social Democrat group in
the soviet was the Bolsheviks.
• Order number 1
– had tipped the balance of power towards the Petrograd Soviet
– (as their orders to the army would triumph if there was a conflict with the PG).
The Provisional Government [Mar-Oct 1917]
Problems caused by WW1 PART1
druring the provisional Government, ww1 was ongoing, this caused issues:
• March
– there were problems
– loss of territory in Poland & Western Russia
– millions of soldiers had been killed
– morale in the armed forces was low
–mutiny by soldiers or sailors was common.
• The PG felt compelled to continue fighting
– as they were allies to France & Britain
– and also owed these countries money from loans
– (fears loans would stop if they pulled out).
– Allys promise them land in crimea and access to black sea is stay in, but they fail to tell the public this and when the deal is leaked, this is loverlooked or left out, and the deal of staying in the war was focused upon
• Some improvement in morale for the first months after the February Revolution
– as soldiers were now fighting for democracy
– not the Tsar
• However
– as problems continued (deaths, shortages etc)
– this morale declined again
The Provisional Government [Mar-Oct 1917]
Problems caused by WW1 part 2
During the Provisional Government ww1 wad ongoing, this caused problems
• Conflict with the PG & Petrograd Soviet over war
– the Petrograd Soviet only agreed to continue ‘without annexations & indemnities’
– (i.e. only to stop Germany gaining more land, but not for more conquest and land).
• However
– the PG aimed to take
more land from the Ottoman Empire
– pledged to continue fighting on the same terms as before.
– This led to:
• [April 1917]
– there were war demonstrations against continuation in the war
– Foreign Minister Milyukov resigned
– also War Minister Ghukov in May.
• June Offensive
– this was intended to be a large push against the Austro-Hungarian
army
– to gain land for Russia.
– However, after a couple of days it was clear that the German & Austro-Hungarian armies were winning
– this led to many desertions &
looting from Russian soldiers.
–It highlighted the collapse of the Russian army
– + led to the demonstrations in Petrograd (July Days)-v
– over the authority & poor performance of the PG.
The Provisional Government [Mar-Oct 1917]
Problems in the Country side and with Peasnts
The Provisional Government faced problems with the rural peasnts too:
• After the collapse of Tsarist autocracy
– administration and government throughout Russia collapsed.
– The PG only had control in the major cities.
• Therefore
– many peasants who felt entitled to a greater share of the land
– They began seizing land off land owners (often including violence).
• After the failure of the June
Offensive
– many soldiers returned to the countryside & increased the illegal land redistribution.
• This highlights the lack of control by the PG
– & chaos that was occurring by the summer of 1917.
The Provisional Government [Mar-Oct 1917]
Lenin’s Ideas
• Lenin believed in Karl Marx’s ideas of the development of society
- that it would evolve eventually into a Socialist
– & eventually Communist society
– where everyone was equal.
• He realised that most Europe was at the capitalist stage, as it had become heavily industrialised.
• However
– Russia was behind the majority of European countries as it was still heavily agricultural with little industry.
• Lenin’s believed he could help Russia progress quicker through these stages
– through creating a small ‘vanguard’ party to lead the workers through
- with himself as leader
– as explained in his publication ‘What is to be done?’ in 1902
• This belief caused a split
in the Social Democratic party in 1903
– with his new faction, ‘the Bolsheviks’ aiming to be the vanguard.
• Little did anyone know this minority party would give everyone a Headache
The Provisional Government [Mar-Oct 1917]
Lenin Returned to Russia
Vlad himself is back in the Country
• [Until March 1917]
– Lenin had been living in exile in Zurich.
– However, he was allowed by Germany to travel back to Russia in a sealed train.
– His arrival at Finland station in
Petrograd had been well publicised
– there were large crowds to greet him
•however his speech came as a great surprise to many:
– He condemned the PG as bourgeois and capitalist, claiming they should be overturned through a full social revolution.
– These ideas were written & published in:
• ‘The April Thesis’ 3rd April
-key ideas–
• He argued the February Revolution could be immediately followed by a Socialist
Revolution
– (this was different to the views of the Bolshevik leadership in Petrograd, Kamenev & Stalin- who had previously supported the PG).
• War was imperialist & should be ended immediately.
• No support for the PG & power should be with the proletariats (workers) & peasants
- through a Soviet government.
• Abolition of police, army & bureaucracy.
• Confiscation of land from the land owners & aristocracy etc.
• PEACE BREAD AND LAND
The Provisional Government [Mar-Oct 1917]
How did Lenin try to gain support for his Bolsheviks?
How did Vlad try to get Support???
• He held many speeches, publications, membership drives etc.
• He promoted the importance of the Soviets
– as these were very popular with workers
– he realised this was a way to gain influence
– (knowing that the Bolsheviks
would be unable to have influence within the PG, which was dominated by liberals).
• ‘All power to the Soviets’
– this slogan capitalised on people’s concerns that the PG
was made up of middle classes & landowners & therefore out of touch with ordinary workers & peasants.
• ‘Peace, Land & Bread’
– this slogan was used as it appealed to main desires of
Russians
– to stop fighting in the war
– to redistribute land for the peasants
– to end food shortages
• He promoted the Bolsheviks as being able to create international Socialism worldwide.
• Early attempts at gaining power:
• [21st April]
– Lenin arranged for factory workers to demonstrate on the streets
– not many joined
– the police dispersed them.
• [June 9]
– Lenin failed to get support from the Petrograd Soviet to demonstrate over the failure of the June Offensive.
– However, he was successful in increasing support & membership
– many within the Petrograd Soviet also became Bolsheviks.
