Russia Controlled AssessmentDual Authority

L.O. To understand the problems the Provisional Government faced when they took power and what the difficulties of dual authority were

Starter:

If Parliament passes a new law, why do we agree to obey it? Why did some people challenge the legitimacy of the Provisional Government right from the start?

Results of February Revolution

The Provisional Government

1. A 12 member government led by Kerensky

2. Planned to rule until elections could be held

The Petrograd Soviet

A council of 2,500 deputies

Determined to share power with the Provisional Government

Dual Government orDual Authority

Dual Authority

• Formed on the same day, the Provisional Government were the official authority with formal power, and the Petrograd Soviet who had the genuine power in the eyes of the people

• Between the revolutions the Dual governments worked together and were supported by the main revolutionary

parties until Lenin arrived on April 3rd 1917. Lenin launched a campaign to drive a wedge between the Soviet

and Prov. Govt.

Tauride Palace, Petrograd. The Provisional Government met at one end and the Soviet at the other

The Provisional Government

• Shared Dual Authority with the Petrograd Soviet

• Led by Prince Lvov – many members of old duma formed part of the Government

• Not elected – a member said that the Revolution had ‘appointed them’!

• As they weren’t elected by the people they lacked legitimate authority and failed to win the loyalty of the Russian people

• Kerensky was a member of both the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet

Petrograd Soviet

• A soviet is a workers council • Made up of workers, soldiers and

revolutionary party deputies, they influenced control of the army, railways, communications, employers and employees

• The Soviet saw itself initially as a watchdog for the workers

• Soviets spread throughout Russia

• Enjoyed more credibility, popularity and power than the Provisional Government

• Was able to restrain the government – for example had ultimate control over the Armed forces with ‘Soviet Order Number 1’

Soviet Order No.1

• ‘The orders of the Military Commission of the State Duma are to be obeyed, with the exception of those

instances in which they contradict the orders and decrees of the Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies.’

• What did this mean for the power of the Provisional Government?

Working together? Dual authority

Initially the 2 bodies cooperated well and effective changes were introduced including:

•recognition of Trade Unions•8 hour day for industrial workers•full civil and religious freedoms•commitment to a constituent assembly

However…

• As the year progressed the increasingly contrasting political makeup of the 2 bodies began to lead to

disagreements. The Provisional Government moved further to the right politically and the Soviet moved

to the left. This made cooperation much more difficult and tension between the 2 increased. The

main issues of disagreement were Russia’s involvement in the world war and the land question.

The members of the Provisional Government. Imagine you are one of the men sitting here. What thoughts are going through your mind? What are the most urgent problems that will need your

attention?

Challenges facing the Provisional Government

• Inexperience

• Dual authority

• Threat of opposition from political groups or military

• Problems facing Russia – war, land and food

• Unelected – lacked legitimacy

• Read source 31 on p.111 – how popular do you think the PG’s policies on the war and land would be with peasants and the soldiers?

Problems for the Provisional Government

The War•The Provisional Government wanted to continue with WW1 – this was unpopular with many people and provided the Bolsheviks with increased support•Strikes occurred to protest against the war

Land•Land shortages were a huge problem in 1917•Peasants had believed that the February Revolution would bring them land – it hadn’t! Discontent grew and peasants began to seize land

Lenin Returns

• Lenin’s return was aided by the Germans (who hoped to knock Russia out of the world war by destabilising her further). He traveled across occupied Europe in a sealed train

• Lenin arrived in Russia and immediately condemned the February Revolution and spoke of his desire to overthrow the Provisional Government. He urged the people to support the Bolsheviks in a second revolution

The April Theses

• On the 4th of April Lenin issued his ‘April Theses’• The ‘Theses’ set out Bolshevik policy and expressed Bolshevik

support for the Soviets (he certainly recognised their importance as an established powerbase). Lenin stated that the February Revolution was only the first stage of the Revolution. He refused to compromise on his belief in the power of the worker. He wanted to end the war, give all power to the Soviets, all property and land to belong to the people, world revolution

• Began to use slogans – ‘Peace, Bread and Land’ and ‘All power to the Soviets’. Why would these have appealed to the Russian people?

Urgent Decision What did the Provisional Government do?

How did the people react?

How did the Bolsheviks take advantage of this?

Continue the war or make peace?

Para 1 p.111 Para 5 p.111, sources 34 and 35 p.112

Para 4 p.111

Distribute land to the peasants (who had already started taking it) or ask them to wait until elections had been held?

Para 1 p.111 Para 5 p.111 Para 4 p.111, source 33 p.111

How best to get food to the starving workers in the cities?

Source 39 p.113

Where did the Provisional Government go wrong?

Kerensky…

•Almost lead Russia into democracy

•Before the June offensive was seen as the leader of the revolution to unify Russia

•Was leader of the Socialist Revolutionaries

•Belonged to the Provisional Government becoming PM in July

•Also was Vice Chairman of the Petrograd Soviet

•Nearly crushed the Bolsheviks

BUT…

The Provisional Government’s fall from grace

1. Only gained power thanks to abdication so had no popular mandate to rule Russia

2. Continued the war everyone hated 3. Massive military defeat in June Offensive4. Focus on war meant economic problems

continued5. Kerensky tried to please all sections of Russian

society, which only managed to alienate them