The Provisional Government Flashcards
which groups where part of the Petrograd Soviet
workers, soldiers and sailors elected representatives for the new Petrograd Soviet
when the tsar abdicated how many members of the Duma Committee formed the Provisional Government
12
how was the Provisional Government set up (groups involved)
- Duma Committee
- set up with approval of Pertograd Soviet
where were the Petrograd Soviet executive and the Provisional Government help meetings in which place
Tauride Palace
who was the leader of the Provisional Government
Prince Lvov
when was the Provisional Government formally established
2 March 1917
the Provisional Governments firsts acts were to:
(5 things)
- release political + religious prisoners
- promise full democratic freedom
- end the death penalty
- take over land belonging to the Tsar
- take local government, across Russian, out of hands of tsarist officials and transfer power to zemstovs - local councils
the Petrograd Soviet agreed to support the Provisional Government only if these 8 principles were followed:
- Amnesty for all political prisoners
- Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, right to strike
- No privileges of class, religion or nationality
- Elections or a Constituent Assembly
- Elected people’s militia to replace all police units
- Local governments to be elected
- Military units that took part in the revolution to stay together, keep weapons and not be sent to the front
- Off-duty soldiers to have same rights as citizens
how was Russia entering a period of ‘Dual Control’
there two 2 governments :
- the Provisional government
- Petrograd Soviets - network of soviets
How did the Provisional Governments position weaken due to ‘Dual power’
- had no control over areas: railways + postal service
name the problems that the Petrograd soviet caused for the Provisional Government/ how they undermined them
- Pet Sov controlled the railway system + postal + telegraph services –> caused major problems for Prov Gov : these key areas were out of their control
- ordinary members of army units + naval ships took control of units and ships –> elected members to the Petrograd Soviet
- Pet Sov set up groups to organise food suplies - another responsibility lost to the soviets
- had their own newspaper to spread its ideas: Izvestya (Russian for ‘News’)
who was Alexander Kerensky
- was a lawyer and moderate socialist
- a member of both Provisional Gov and Petrograd Soviet
when and what title did Kerensky gain with the Provisional Government
- was 1st Minister of Justice in Prov Gov
- May 1917: became Minister of War
when and what did Kerensky become after the failure of the June Offensive and when was he overthrown
- July 1917: became Minister-Chairman (leader) of the Provisional Government, in place of Prince Lvov
- October 1917 : overthrown by Bolsheviks
what crucial mistakes did Kerensky make when he was the leader of the Provisional Government in June 1917
- continued to support war –> angered ordinary soldiers
- acted against old ruling classes –> lost support from conservatives
- failed to control Bolsheviks
what order did the Provisional Government follow that showed their lack of control over the military
‘Order Number 1’ - published by Petrograd garrison on 1 March
what were he conditions of ‘Order number 1’
army + navy would only obey orders from the Provisional Government if they were also approved by the Petrograd Soviets
how did ‘Order Number 1’ greatly undermine the authority of the Provisional Government
Petrograd Soviets now had finial say on military matters, not the Provisional Government
how did the failure to hold a general election weaken the Provisional Governments position
allowed people to say government lacked support
why did the public believe that the Provisional Government lacked legitimacy
- was formed from Duma, was elected in 1912 under tsarist regime –> only small percentage could vote
- did not represent the wider population yet still claimed authority over Russia
- compared to direct elections of workers, soldiers and peasants to the soviets –> Prov Gov didn’t look supportive –> had little authority
what were the 3 reasons that the Provisional government were reluctant to let peasants seize the land of landowners and wealthier peasants:
- thought it should wait until after general election before allowing huge change
-
feared if land redistributed among peasant –> huge numbers of fighting soldiers would return home in order not to miss out
- Russian army + navy made mostly of conscripted peasants - afraid Russia would fall apart in disorganised violence + disorder
why was the reluctance to let peasants seize land a major mistake for the Provisional Governement
- peasants seized land anyway –> resented soldiers sent by Prov Gov to stop them
- lost support + gained resentment
why was the Provisional Governments decision to continuing to fight in the war a failure
- Petrograd Soviet only supported war if it was only defending Russian territory, no advances, invasion on enemy territory
- ordinary members of soviet: troops, workers, general population wanted to end war + bring soldiers home
why was the June Offensive 1917 a failure?
- attacked Austrian + German armies in Galicia (southern Poland)
- attack was disaster : Russian soldiers refused to advance –> 200,000 Russian casualties
- Russian army retreated : Germans advanced into Ukraine (Russian territory)
- after June Offensive: Kerensky took over Provisional Government leadership from Prince Lvov
