The establishment of the Dual authority: the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet (2)

Question 1

What did the Grand Duke Mikhail do?

Answer 1

He claimed political authority to assemble a “Provisional Government”.

Question 2

Who was the Provisional Government under?

Answer 2

Prince Lvov

Question 3

Who was Prince Lvov?

Answer 3

A wealthy aristocrat and zemstvo leader.

Question 4

What did the Provisional Governments members represent?

Answer 4

A cross-section of the influential elites and comprised those who had formerly favoured constitutional monarchy liberals, moderate socialsts and Kadets.

Question 5

What was the Provisional Government there for?

Answer 5

It would be temporary and that elections would take place as soon as possible for a new Constituent Assembly.

Question 6

Where did the Provisional Government set it’s self up?

Answer 6

In the Duma chamber the right wing of the Tauride Palace in Petrograd.

Question 7

What did the Majority of the workers, soldiers and peasants think of the Provisional Government?

Answer 7

That it was a self-appointed committee of the wealthy, tainted by their previous associations with tsardom.

Question 8

Who did the workers, soldiers and peasants prefer over the Provisional Government?

Answer 8

The Petrograd Soviet

Question 9

Where did the Petrograd Soviet set it’s self up?

Answer 9

In the left wing of the Tauride Palace.

Question 10

Who were the Petrograd Soviet made up of?

Answer 10

Radical socialist intellectuals, Mensheviks and Social Revolutionaries but also a small number of Bolsheviks.

Question 11

How many of the 42 committee members were workers themselves?

Answer 11

7

Question 12

What did the Petrograd Soviet lack?

Answer 12

The Confidence needed to assume direct control

Question 13

What happened due to some delicate negotiations by Kerensky?

Answer 13

An agreement for the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet to work together was reached.

Question 14

Who was Kerensky apart of?

Answer 14

Both the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet.

Question 15

Due to the agreement between the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet what did this lay the foundations for?

Answer 15

The “Dual authority”

Question 16

What was the Dual authority?

Answer 16

Whereby Russia was governed by an alliance of the Provisional Government and Soviet.

Question 17

What did the Soviet make no attempt to do?

Answer 17

To demand for land redistribution or the nationalism of industry.

Question 18

What promises did the Soviet accept from the Provisional Government? (5)

Answer 18

1) A general amnesty for political prisoners
2) Civil liberties
3) The abolition of legal disabilities based on class, religion and nationality
4) Freedom to organise trade unions and to strike
5) The election of a Constituent Assembly

Question 19

What did the Provisional Government state in April?

Answer 19

“the power of the state should be based, not on violence but on the consent of free citizens to the power they themselves created”.

Question 20

What did this new government bring to Russia?

Answer 20

Gave freedom of religion and the press, abolished the death penalty, replaced the tsarist police force with a “people’s militia” and dismissed Provincial Governors, giving their work to the elected zemstva.

Question 21

What did the Provisional Government try to do with army deserters and in towns

Answer 21

Tried to discipline army deserters and restore order in towns and countryside

Question 22

What did the Soviets encourage the peasants and workers to do?

Answer 22

To defy authority and assert their “rights”.

Question 23

What was the Provisional Governments opinion on war?

Answer 23

It should lead to an all-out effort to “win” in the war.

Question 24

What was the Soviets opinion on war?

Answer 24

The war should be ended as quickly as possible “without annexation” of territory by the Germans.

Question 25

What was Milyukov’s announcement in April 1917?

Answer 25

That the government would continue fighting until a “just peace” had been won.

Question 26

What did Milyukov’s announcement lead to?

Answer 26

It led to Milyukov and Guchkov to resign under popular pressure led by the Petrograd Soviet in May.

Question 27

Who replaced Milyukov and Guchkov?

Answer 27

By socialists from the Soviet- Viktor Chernov became Minister of Agriculture, Aleksandr Kerensky became Minister of War and two further Mensheviks were added to the cabinet.

Question 28

When was Lvov replaced as Chairman?

Answer 28

In July 1917

Question 29

What did the population feel about war in Russia?

Answer 29

The war was deeply unpopular among the population however the Provisional Government felt bound by their alliance with Britain and France and relied on French loans for survival.