1917 October Revolution - PG Weaknesses

Question 1

what were the main weaknesses of the Provisional Government

Answer 1

PG nature
Policies
Kerensky’s mistakes

Question 2

why was the PG so weak

Answer 2

• dual authority
• its temporary nature
• internal division

Question 3

why was the PG viewed as illegitimate

Answer 3

it had no real constitutional claim and so wasn’t considered the main authority
it was also an unelected body

Question 4

what was dual authority

Answer 4

the fact that the PG cooperated with the Soviets limited their power as the Soviets gained influence over the soldiers and workers

Question 5

to what extent were the Soviets a threat to the PG initially

Answer 5

initially cooperation was common - Kerensky was a SR leader and Petrograd Soviet Chairman - Bolsheviks main opposition - no majority

Question 6

what was Soviet order 1

Answer 6

• PG restricted as Soviets commanded soldiers to only obey PG if Soviets approve of orders

Question 7

what were the implications of Soviet Order 1

Answer 7

soldiers were under Soviet control - held the real power

Question 8

how was the PG divided

Answer 8

from extremists to moderates - PG was politically diverse - monarchists and Bolsheviks were excluded

Question 9

why was it significant that Bolsheviks were excluded from PG

Answer 9

• they could absolve themselves from PG actions completely

Question 9

why was it significant that Bolsheviks were excluded from PG

Answer 9

• they could absolve themselves from PG actions completely

Question 10

some minor PG successes

Answer 10

prisoner amnesty
civil freedoms
trade unions recognised
peoples militia
free elections

Question 10

why were these minor successes futile

Answer 10

they didn’t address the main problems like the Bolsheviks did
- food shortages
- war
- land

Question 10

what was the ministerial crisis

Answer 10

March 14th
- Soviets demanded immediate peace without indemnities etc
- PG accepted
- however PG foreign minister promised allies that Russia would stay in WW1
- Violent response in Petrograd
- Milyukov + Guchkov - resigned
Mensheviks and SRs took big roles in government
socialists were now isolated from Soviets due to PG - Bolsheviks more legit

Question 10

what policies were mishandled by PG

Answer 10

War
Land
National Minorities
Economy

Question 10

what was the PGs position on war

Answer 10

needed war bonds to keep economy afloat

Question 11

what were war bonds

Answer 11

monetary funds that aided the Russian economy provided from Allied Banks
- no war - no war bonds

Question 12

why would ending war be detrimental for the economy

Answer 12

no war bonds = no functioning economy

Question 13

what war related paradox was the PG stuck with

Answer 13

they needed to stay in the war else the economy would fail - causes people to become angry and preventing the country from being stabalised

Question 14

what was the issue with Land

Answer 14

Bourgeois landowners still were in possession of peasant land - peasant uprising around July Days
- NATIONAL PEASANT REVOLT

Question 15

what aimed to solved the land question/ its effectiveness

Answer 15

land commission
- lacklustre
- inadequate - ran by landowners - conflict of interests
allowed Bolsheviks to attack PG

Question 16

how did the Bolsheviks take advantage of the land question

Answer 16

recognised peasants as revolutionary
- used land as a base for expansion of support
- formation / partnership with ‘Left SRs’
- new slogan ‘Land for the peasants’

Question 17

how were the national minorities dealt with

Answer 17

during July Days many countries declared independence
- including Ukraine - largest food producing region lot during a shortage
Kadets resigned due to this

Question 18

what mistakes did Kerensky make

Answer 18

June offensive
Kornilov
First move - underestimated the Bolsheviks

Question 19

what was the June Offensive

Answer 19

Kerensky urged the wars continuation - saw it as a revolutionary crusade
south western front - enormous failure
whole regiments mutinied and deserted
- promoted to lead PG 8th July - caused July Days

Question 20

how did the PG underestimate Bolsheviks

Answer 20

Zinoviev + Kamenev - publish revolution 11th Oct
- Kerensky premptive attack
-23rd Oct - Pravda + Izvestiya shut down
- Trotsky outnumbered Cossacks and Amazons - quickly undermined PG

Question 21

what were the weaknesses of NON -Bolshevik parties such as SRs - Mensheviks etc. within the PG

Answer 21

• associated with PG actions
• kept to Marx’s stages dialectic
• had to wait for the vote to assert power
• didn’t want revolution
  Lenin claimed power for the ALL RUSSIAN CONGRESS OF SOVIETS - they had no say