The Provisional Government Flashcards
Why was the provisional government set up?
Set up to govern until elections for a constituent assembly could be held
Who was the prime minister of the PG?
Prince Lvov
What reforms did the PG have?
Freedom of speech Freedom of religion Recognition of trade unions Introduction of an eight hour day for industrial workers Promise of an elected parliament Abolsihment of the secret police Amnesty for political prisoners - it was hoped they would satisfy middle class and workers
What were the problems of the PG?
They were not a truly elected body and did not represent the people of russia
They were defeats in the war
Soldiers were deserting
Peasants looted propertis of landlords and seized their lands
People wanted n end to food shortages
Soldiers and workers were settingup their own elected councils known as soviets
Subject nnationalities wanted independence
What was Dual Authority and what effect did this have?
The existence of the petrograd soviet and teh provisional goverment governing the country was known as dual authority.
They were conflicted as the PG wanted war to continue but PS wanted war to end - they were influenced by the bolsheviks
Soviet order number one was passed
What was soviet order number 1?
This meant that all military orders had to be approved by the PS.
It was passsed on march 1917
What effect did the defeats in war have on the PG?
Since the PG decided to continue war, it was fatal and increased unpopularity as in the june offensive teher were over 60,000 deaths - at first they wanted to continue war as they feared Germany would make heavy demands for peace
Germnay sent exiled revolutionaries back to russia - including lenin, april thesis announced - April 1917
What was the april thesis?
‘All land to the peasantry’ ‘alll power to the soviets’ ’peace land bread’
What happned at the all russian congress of soviets?
The PG were given the vote of confidence in june 1917.
Only 105 out of the 822 representatives were bolsheviks
What were the july days?
How was this stopped?
What did lenin do after the july dayd?
Austrian front was disintegrating so soldiers fled back to petrograd
Mass riots of soldiers and bolsheviks, trying to overthrow the the provisional government - this gave lenin more publicity
Kerensky put out this riot with 400 killed and injured
Lenin fled the country
Who was apppointed prime miister on 8th july 1917 and why?
Alexander Kerensky
He was cemented as the most powerful politician in all of russia
He was deterined to continue the war and wait until elections to decide on russias participation
What was the kornilov revolt?
After the july days General Kornilov (right wing views) threatens to seie power in petrograd, he wanted military dictatorship
He…
- attacked the bolsheviks in petrograd soviet
- asked for war to continue
- called for a meeting of the constituent assembly
It was all a failed attempt at a right wing coup
What were the results of the kornilov revolt?
- this allowed the bolshevik red army to form - great for lenin
- Kornilov was arrested
- morale sank
- kerenskys gov looked weak
- kerensky set bolsheviks free who were imprisoned after the july days, bolsheviks felt powerful
