Russia PG Flashcards
Who made up the Provisional Government?
- Middle Class
- Upper Middle Class
- Handful of aristocratic members of the Cadet or Octoberist Parties led by Prince Lvov
What were the aims of the Provisional Government?
- To create a constitution and democratic system of government
- Survival depended on how they dealt with immediate problems facing Russia (war effort, food shortages).
What were the political problems facing the PG?
- They were worried about the men and people who still supported the Tsar
- The Petrograd Soviets were another power and it had military and workers support, this undermined the PG’s power as it could only carry out decisions if the Soviets agreed and the Soviets controlled the armed forces in Petrograd.
What were the military problems facing the PG?
- Decided to continue with war, which meant that domestic shortages would only continue
- BUT by not admitting defeat to the Germans, Russia were no humiliated, and kept the Allies Britain and France and Russia also knew that Germany would make them pay a very heavy price if they tired to make peace and Russia could not necessarily afford that. - The war continued which meant deserters also increased and food and fuel shortages which would only mean that the people were more angry and they need to get more army and the resources are being drained (people may think that the provisional government do not support them).
What were the economic problems facing the PG?
- The PG would not give the peasants land
- Plus if there was free-for-all land the PG feared that many of the men at the front would come back to grab their share, which would mean less people at the front and the army would disintegrate, and so the army would definitely loose, not all would get land, and so peasants would be angry = strikes
- BUT in 1917 peasants began taking land for themselves whatever the government said which undermined the PG’s power
Overall what were the problems facing the provisional government?
- Continuing defeats of WW1
- Not an elected representative body
- Peasants stealing form their landlords and this was far away from Petrograd so hard to control
- Soliders deserting
- Massive food shortages
- Soldiers and workers were setting up Soviets in cities
- Demand for independence from national minorities e.g. Finns
Describe the Petrograd Soviet of Soldiers and Workers Deputies
- An elected body of around 3,000 radicles (March/Summer 1917) and was a rival source of power to PG.
- TPS issues order number 1 which states that all armed units were subordinate to the Soviet and only orders from the PG endorsed by the Soviet were valid
Why did the PG grant freedom of religion?
-The church was Pro-Tsar and so they wanted to show how they were different
PROBLEM:
-Many were still orthodox and so could find this offensive
-The church still had power so don’t want to anger
-Less united Russia
Why did the PG abolish the Secret Police?
-To show they were on the people’s side and away from the Tsar
PROBLEM:
-Easier for opposition groups to rise and overthrow PG
Why did the PG guarantee free speech?
-Allowed people to feel that they had a say, unlike with Tsar
PROBLEM:
- Many had different views and could criticise the government which could lessen the power of the PG
Why did the PG introduce the 8-hour working day?
-The peasants and workers had previously striked for it (in OM)
-Please peasants
PROBLEM:
-Production decreases which would have a negative effect on economy and war effort and arguably people had more time to make arguments against PG
Why did the PG recognise trade unions?
-Helps people
PROBLEM:
-Creates potential opposition groups
-Lead to more strikes
Why did the PG continue with the war?
- To not humiliate Russia
- Keep good relations and allies with BR and FR
- Would have to pay too much to Germans if tried to make peace
What were the problems of continuing the war?
- 1000s of soldiers began deserting including many peasants who had been conscripted. Illegal land seizures were taking place in the countryside and many soldiers did not want to be denied their share
- Although advances were made the Russian force suffered around 100,000 casualties from March -November
- Kerensky’s June offensive was a particular disaster
- Normal people still faced food and fuel shortages and peasants would continue to be conscripted
- Fuel and railway continued to provide for war effort rather than heating and transportation of food
Describe the return of Lenin
- April 1917, exiled Bolshevik leader retuned with the Germans help to Russia soon after March revolution (if Germans cause uprising in Russia Germany may do better in war)
- He set out Bolshevik programme in his April Thesis, Lenin’s popular slogan was the promise of bread peace and land
- Support for the Bolshevik party increased massively as Lenin called for a radial solution to Russia’s problems instead of the PG’s moderate policies
Describe Lenin’s made ideas (10th April 1917)
- System of Soviets should be extended
- End war with a ‘democratic peace’
- No police
- No bureaucracy (slow administration)
- Power should belong to the Soviets
- All land must belong to the nation
- Universally arm the people
How would Lenin’s ideas improve Russia?
-Having a central government makes ruling a place the size of Russia difficult
-Increase grain production (people will be more productive)
-Free form capitalism
-Lasting peace
VERY IDEALISTIC
What made the PG even more unstable?
The failing war effort as this gave a focus to Lenin and allowed him to swoop in and it made the PG look bad and the war caused this because their changes expect of ending war were actually good ideas and reforms and what the people wanted
Could the PG have acted differently?
- Although there were reasons for not ending the war the fact they did not is significant because it showed how they did not listen to the people and exposes how they are unrepresentative of the population.
- The type of people in PG also meant they would have found it hard to act in favour of all the classes
- They did make some positive reforms
- Arguably they did try to act in favour of general Russia as they knew redistributing land would cause chaos
Was the PG ever going to survive?
- Although unrepresentative of the people they still acted away from the Tsar and did what people wanted
- The war meant that people were very desperate and more likely to criticise and blame the government
- The war also placed them in a difficult position of acting in favour of people or geopolitical conditions and the war allowed the return of Lenin
Describe the July Days
- Lenin’s popularity had increased to the extent that he could try to destabilise the PG
- Bolshevik anti war protests turned into an open rebellion and the PG sought to control the riots
- Seeking to discredit Bolshevik leader, Kerensky produced evidence that Lenin had retuned to Russia with the German’s help. He portrayed the Bolsheviks as German spies and their popularity waned.
- At the same time Kerensky took advantage of the situation to crush the protestors with loyal troops. Lenin escaped to Finland where he continued planning for a takeover.
Describe the Kornilov Revolt
- Kerensky was in an impossible situation. The Petrograd Soviet was largely made up of Bolsheviks and whilst the open protests had been crushed, the Bolsheviks still enjoyed mass support.
- Compounding this problem were those in the army who believed the Bolshevik Soviet and the PG had failed and needed replacing
- In September 1917, General Kornilov marched his troops towards Moscow in an attempt to seize control
- The only people who Kerensky could turn to were the Bolsheviks and in a fit of desperation the armed Bolsheviks who had organised under Trotsky (the leader of the Petrograd Soviet) into the Red Guard.
- Kornilov’s troops refused to fire on the Red Guard and the General’s attempted coup ended in failure; however Kerensky had really only succeeded in arming a rival group. This had only lengthened his survival , not ensured it.
How did the return of Lenin help the Bolsheviks take control of Petrograd?
23rd of October visited leading Bolsheviks as previous letter had not convinced, and argued with them until they agreed to seize power now
How did the return of Trotsky help the Bolsheviks take control of Petrograd?
He told Lenin to wait, and so allowed takeover to be organised and planned for 7th November
