The Establishment of the Provisional Government

Question 1

Where did the Provisional Government’s power come from?

Answer 1

By the fact it was drawn from the Duma (which had been legally elected)

Question 2

What was the Provisional Governments role + how long for?

Answer 2

Temporary role, its goal was to govern Russia until a new constitution could be established by a democratically elected Constituent Assembly

Question 3

WHO was in the Provisional Government when it was formed?

Answer 3

New Prime Minister = Prince Lvov.

Consisted of leading Liberals who had favoured a constitutional monarchy.

One social minister (Kerensky).

And influential elites

Question 4

Which liberals were the most common in the Provisional government?

Answer 4

Kadets were the strongest group

Question 5

Why did Kerensky play an important role in government during dual power?

Answer 5

He was both a member of the Provisional Government and a member of the Soviet - able to help the two bodies collaborate.

Question 6

Who did the Petrograd Soviet represent and what were their aims?

Answer 6

Represented the working people and soldiers of Petrograd.

Aimed to defend the rights of the workers under the new ‘bourgeois government’

Question 7

Who elected the Soviet?

Answer 7

Regularly elected directly by the workers and soldiers of Petrograd.

Meaning Soviet deputies genuinely represented those who elected them

Question 8

In what sense was the Soviet more powerful than the PG?

Answer 8

Due to the support of the people it was able to control the local garrisons, factories and railways of Petrograd

Question 9

When was the Soviet established and why?

Answer 9

27th February 1917 to coordinate striking workers across Petrograd

Question 10

In what 2 ways was it similar to the St Petersburg Soviet of 1905?

Answer 10

Elected directly by Petrograd factory workers and soldiers.

Delegates from factories received the same pay as ordinary workers.

Question 11

What was the significant difference between the 1905 Soviet and the 1917 one?

Answer 11

The role of intellectuals :
1905 intellectual members of radical parties, allowed to advise soviet.

1917- allowed to become members.

Question 12

What were four of the major problems the PG faced initially in 1917?

Answer 12

1. Government was committed to ‘revolutionary defensism’ (continuing war to defend revolution)
2. Continuing meant facing same economic problems that ruined the Tsar
3. Workers wanted higher pay and shorter hours
4. Peasants wanted to own the land they worked

Question 13

What part of the establishment of the PG made their power limited?

Answer 13

It wasn’t elected so didn’t represent the working class/ peasants and therefore depended on the soviet to carry out its policies

Question 14

When was the PG declared?

Answer 14

2nd March

Question 15

Which parties were in the soviets?

How many members were actual workers in it’s executive committee?

Answer 15

Dominated by Mensheviks and non-socialist intellectuals.

Petrograd soviet = radical socialist intellectuals, Mensheviks, SR’s and also a small number of Bolsheviks.

Of it’s execute committee only 7 of the first 42 committee members were workers themselves.

Question 16

What did soldiers do on March 1st?

Answer 16

Went to the soviet and demanded representation where they gained order number one

Question 17

What was order number one?

Answer 17

Gave soldiers representation and gave their committees control of all weapons- stated soldiers only obey PG if the Soviet agreed

Question 18

What were some of the first measures taken by the PG?

2 against old regime, 2 looking forward

Answer 18

Tsarist ministers and officials arrested and imprisoned.

Okhrana were disbanded.

PG promised Constituent Assembly to future government.

First decree.

Question 19

What was the first decree?

Answer 19

First decree = granting amnesty for political and religious prisoners, freedom of press, religion and free speech, death penalty abolished and discrimination = illegal.

Question 20

What were five key issues in March 1917?

Answer 20

Economy - how to Improve?

Social reform - how quickly and how far?

War - peace (loss of territory), offensive or defensive?

Land - taken off nobility to divide among selves or government do it in a controlled way?

National minorities - independence?

Question 21

What were the main policies of the liberals (Kadets) in March 1917?

Answer 21

Continue war.

Solve land problem using Constituent Assembly.

Not to break up the empire.

Delay Constituent Assembly elections as its unlikely they would be elected

Question 22

What were the main policies of the socialists?

Answer 22

Co-operate with PG to ensure interests of the people.

Fight defensive war.

Leave land issue to Constituent.

Offer more self-government to non-Russians

Question 23

Why didn’t the Soviet just take power?

Answer 23

Wanted to avoid civil war and counter revolution

Lacked the confidence needed to assume direct control.

Negotiations by Kerensky = an agreement to work together was reached.

Question 24

What did the majority of workers, soldiers and peasants regard the PG as compared to Petrograd Soviet?

Answer 24

A self-appointed committee of the wealthy, tainted by their previous associations with tsardom.

They viewed the Petrograd soviet as more democratic.

Question 25

In Dual Authority what 6 things did the PG promise the soviets (in terms of political freedom)?

Answer 25

A general amnesty for political prisoners.

Civil liberties (freedom of speech, movement etc)

The abolition of legal disabilities based on class, religion and nationality.

Freedom to organise trade unions and to strike.

The election of a Constituent Assembly to determine Russia’s futurez

Later said that the power of the state shouldn’t be based on violence but on the consent of free citizens.

Question 26

What were two of the disagreements between the PG and the soviets?

Answer 26

The PG tried to discipline army deserters and restore order in towns and cities.
The soviets encouraged peasants and workers to defy authority and assert their ‘rights’.

The PG believed in all out attack to win the war.
The soviets wanted war ended as quickly as possible without annexation of territory by the Germans.

Question 27

Who was Milyukov?

Answer 27

Foreign minister of the Provisional Government

Question 28

Who was Guchkov?

Answer 28

War minister in Provisional government

Question 29

What did Milyukov announce in April 1917 and what was the result?

Answer 29

That the government would continue fighting until a ‘just peace’ had been won.

Led to protests.

This forced him and Guchkov to resign under popular pressure led by the Petrograd Soviet in May.

Question 30

Who was chairman of PG in July, 1917?

Answer 30

July 1917, Lvov was replaced as chairman (effectively prime minister) by Kerensky

Question 31

Why were the PG in an impossible situation in terms of war?

Answer 31

War was deeply unpopular but they had alliances with Britain and France and relied on France for loans.

Question 32

Why were the PG in an impossible situation in terms of leadership?

Answer 32

They were committed to Constituent Assembly elections but knew SRs would win support of peasants and by June 1917 that the Bolsheviks would get the workers vote in cities.

Elections were continually postponed and the PG were waiting for elections before carrying out policy changes like land redistribution so little got done.

The Soviet offered no alternative leadership as the largely SR and Menshevik leadership believed their main task was to protect rights of workers and peasants.