Preview

History, strength of provisional government

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
915 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
History, strength of provisional government
How far was the provisional government responsible for its own downfall?

During the brief period of rule by The Provisional Government, Russia was troubled by several domestic issues that the provisional Government failed to sufficiently deal with when eventually led to their down fall in 1917. Their failure to fulfil the needs of the peasants, which was a big domestic issue, was a factor that led to their loss of support and in addition their failure to suppress the opposition led to their downfall. The instantaneous cause for their collapse was the fierce take over from the Bolsheviks led by Lenin. However the main factors that led to their downfall was their decision to continue in the war because it has worsened the issues that The Provisional Government failed to tackle which then led to loss of support from the bulk of the population and more importantly the army which they relied upon to defend The Provisional Government such as the July Days. In addition their decision to delay the elections gave the Bolsheviks a chance to take power. As a result, Lenin and the Bolsheviks were able to increase their support rapidly and take over so therefore The Provisional Government can be largely held responsible for their own downfall.

Russia’s continuation in the war after the abdication of the tsar was the main reason for the down fall of The Provisional Government because it increased the issues that Russia faced already which worsened their respect and support as it was their decision to do so. As a result of this, they lost support of the army because they were losing in the war as they lost territory, soldiers and unprepared to go to battle. This decreased the soldier’s moral which eventually led to the breakdown of military discipline. This eventually led to radical parties having an increase of support because they were against the continuation of the war such as the Bolsheviks because they promised to end Russia’s involvement in the war. In addition,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The reforms and policies made during the last Tsarist years were not in the interests of the people but were made simply to maintain the power of the Tsar and his nobles. Most people would argue that during the years 1917-1964 there was more political freedom and less repression than in the Tsarist years. The provisional government did not meet the needs of the Russian people. They were an unstable and temporary government, and many people on the furthest parts of the Russian empire did not know about their existence. This provided them with many issues, such as trying to enforce democracy onto people they did not understand what democracy actually was. Many historians believe that at this point the people of Russia did not know themselves what form of government they wanted and due to the lack of education they did not know what form was best for them. In October 1917 came the Bolshevik revolutions. With their leader, Lenin, the Bolsheviks overthrew the provisional government and came into power. The leadership of Lenin was met with great approval from the people. Lenin promised political freedom unknown to them under the Tsars and Provisional government. In his rule…

    • 1370 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Historians may believe the Provisional Government was doomed because of a major problem with the provisional government which was the Dual Authority. The Provisional Government was made up of members of the old Duma that had refused to disband at the Tsars command. This meant that they were basically the same men that the Tsar had appointed before the revolution, so nothing had changed in that regard. Consequently, they had no goodwill from the public backing them up, so they would be judged purely on what the public could see happening. Furthermore, the Government had to share power with the Petrograd Soviet. This illegitimate relationship lessened the power of the Provisional Government existentially. Incidentally, it should be mentioned that the two factions were not necessarily hostile towards one another from the start, with some members being members of both groups at the same time. This combination of convenience however, could not last for long.Without a shred of a doubt, one of the biggest problems with the Provisional Government was the continuation of the war. The war was a lost cause by this stage and the Provisional Government would have wanted to pull out if it were a logical possibility, but in order to keep Russia afloat they needed to keep up the fight for the money that they were receiving from Britain and France. The loans that Russia had taken out from these countries while under the Tsarist regime had left Russia financially destroyed. The injections of money and supplies that the allies were providing Russia with because of their involvement in the war was the only thing keeping Russia stable. If Russia could have started to engage in peace talks, as suggested by Josef Stalin, then the Provisional Government could concentrate on sorting out the social and economic problems properly, but because of the desperate need for the war credits, this was not a viable solution. The effect of this choice to keep fighting is somewhat akin to watching a…

    • 915 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The first of these was headed by a moderate liberal, Georgi Lvov and the second was ran by Alexander Krensky. The Provisional Government knew that the Bolsheviks were going to strike. The reports of the Bolshevik's conspiracy in where always in Krensky's mind, but there was overwhelming dissent about the revolution. The government was so unstable that Krensky had little to no control over the congress or military, and because Krensky did not have "the majesty of government, the laws, the protection of friends and of the state," he had no power, no control over his fortune. Krensky's failure as a prince had to do with the unstable government and the political factions all brewing their revolutions and civil unrest. He did not prepare for fortune. He met his end by not being able to deal with…

    • 1377 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Great War was the main cause of the February 1917 Revolution. The Russian army suffered badly in the First World War due to a lack of equipment, inadequate training and poor leadership. The Tsar decided to take personal command of the army. As a result, he was blamed for the army's problems and defeats. World War I was a total disaster for Russia due to the Russian army suffering defeat after defeat at the hands of Germany. Cost of the war led to the economic collapse which then led to more anger and outrage, this shows that the Great War started a chain reaction of problems for Russia. Morale during this time was at an all-time low and soldiers and civilians alike were looking for someone to blame. In 1915, Tsar Nicholas II took personal command of the army and left St. Petersburg and moved to army headquarters in Russian, Poland. Nicholas II may have believed that, by taking charge, his army would be inspired and would fight with renewed vigour, however this had the opposite effect. Unfortunately, the Tsar knew little about the command and organisation of large military forces, and the series of defeats and humiliations continued. The organisation of the Russian army deteriorated and there were massive shortages of ammunition, equipment, and medical supplies which led to possibly the largest asset Nicholas had, the army, to lose belief and faith in…

    • 1065 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The divisions in the political opposition to the Tsarist rule were the next most important factor. The Populists were a socialist party, supported by peasants and urban workers, who wanted a socialist democracy for a Russian republic. Their assassination tactic strengthened other revolutionaries who opposed the tsarist government and attracted intelligentsia therefore depriving the government of them. This, it can be argued, delayed…

    • 1091 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In addition, Russia had endured many more hardships and downfalls following the conclusion of World War I. According to The Making of the West, “the government’s incompetence and Nicholas II’s stubborn resistance to change had made the war even worse in Russia than elsewhere” (Hunt et al. 683). The. In the early revolution in February, the monarchy was overthrown and a provisional government was put into place, however it failed to meet all the desires of the working class and…

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Bolsheviks acted in a brutal manner during the year 1917-1924; however this was not the main reason why they remained in power during that time frame. Instead their survival can mostly be attributed to the weakness of their opposition, who displayed a lack of organisation and unification. There were other reasons for the Bolsheviks' remaining in power between 1917 and 1924, such as the efficiency and strong leadership of the Bolsheviks, and their geographical advantages; but these were ultimately not as significant as the the weakness of their opposition, as their survival was dictated by how they exploited their enemies' flaws.…

    • 1082 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To a large extent I believe that the provisional government was responsible for its own downfall due to the fact that they had to share power with the soviets and their perilous decision to continue fighting in the First World War. Their decision to carry on fighting in the war was the most important due to lost support from the Russian people and more importantly, from the armed forces who they relied on to defend them. There are also other factors which contributed to the provisional government’s downfall such as the return of Lenin and the Kornilov affair which led to the success and rise of the Bolsheviks.…

    • 875 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Tsarist Autocracy

    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Tsarist autocracy has succeeded for more than three hundred years, but the Russian Revolution that occurred on November 1917 ended the long term autocracy. During this time period, Tsar Nicholas II was the leader of Russia and indeed the last one. He caused Russia’s downfall and made many Russians frustrated about the government. The Tsar did not acknowledge the nation's problems and failed to improve the lives of the citizens. As the Russians struggled with limited rights and lack of help from Nicholas II, they had to make a move. Although peasant unrest led to the Russians protesting and rebelling against the country, the Russian Revolution occurred because of Tsar Nicholas II’s weak leadership, in which he failed to accomplished the Russian’s goals, horribly managed the military, and thought that the system should not change.…

    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Tsar had a lot of opponents within Russia and he did not deal with them to the best of his abilities. This meant he was not firmly in control of Russia at all. The 4 main opposing groups were: The Liberals (Cadets), The Social Revolutionaries (SRs) and The Social Democratic Party (Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks) Although the different groups were all angry at different things, the one thing they had in common was that they were all unhappy about Russia’s Social and Economic Situation. In my opinion the Bolsheviks were the most dangerous group towards Tsar and the…

    • 1597 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Based on events in history, the main cause of the Russian Revolution was the state that the government was in and the conditions the working class was in. The Czar gave up his throne and the government began to be corrupt along with the build up of repression from the working class, who suffered for many years before, about to burst. These events set the basis for the revolution and grew with the circumstance of instability throughout the government and Dumas. Even before and after the abdication of the czar Dumas have formed and dissolved adding to the instability of the government as a whole. We see this here, “These disorders… Forced the government to promise the establishment of a consultive Duma, or assembly, elected by limited franchise.” (“Russian Revolution”) Along with this workers rioted for their working conditions and rations, soon enough the military refuse to break up the protesters and rioters involved. It now turned chaotic and violent. A peaceful protest gone bad was the influence for most of the violence because it was a weak spot to the government. The revolution caused an outcome of twelve years in suffering from a transaction of a different political standing. Negotiations came forth and at ended with Germany cutting in.…

    • 493 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Royal Romanov Family

    • 991 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Liberals were not successful in gaining governmental acceptance of their ideas. However, when the Revolution was reignited in 1917, the Revolutionaries had more support and the determination to accomplish their goals. During this time, because of World War I, there was hardly any food or fuel, and hard winters made for hard times. Nicholas II then attempted to appease the people with the introduction of a Constitution and the Duma, a parliament which would give the people more of a say in government, but it was too little and too late. The mounting pressures of World War I, combined with years of injustice, toppled the rule of Tsar Nicholas II in March 1917. Forced to abdicate, he was replaced by a Provisional Government committed to continuing the…

    • 991 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    History

    • 1023 Words
    • 5 Pages

    I believe that one of the main reasons for the Tsar’s abdication and the collapse of the Romanov rule was the poor state which Russia was in. Russia’s economy was at the worst it had ever been. The economy was far worse than other countries in the War. There were millions of peasants in Russia who had very limited amount of money. With such a limited amount of money, many peasants were unable to buy food, and drink to help them to survive. Peasants believed that they weren’t getting rewarded fairly for the work which they were doing. The upper classes’ benefit greatly due to work done by the Peasants. This created a negative atmosphere around Russia and helped fuel the need for a change. Peasants wanted change; they wanted to be rewarded more for their efforts at work. Russia was in an economic crisis. They had borrowed a huge amount of money from capital countries in order to fuel Russia’s war effort. This was a problem for Russia because they simply didn’t have the money to repay these countries. During the war the country had suffered inflation. Prices had risen dramatically for everyday items such as bread. The country was suffering and the Russian people’s families were dyeing in a war which wasn’t being funded. The Russian people were bound to be discontent and they only had one person to blame and that was the Tsar.…

    • 1023 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    As well as the lack of public support, the Provisional Government was also almost powerless in political and military terms. The Soviets, elected by workers and peasants and therefore generally against…

    • 1594 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Bolshevik Takeover

    • 592 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In March of 1917 in Russia, The Tsar, Nicholas II had little choice. The Great War (as it was known as at that time) had turned into a disaster, conditions at home were horrible, and the Menshevik government had forced Nicholas to abdicate He did this for himself and his son and gave the power to his brother. His brother gave up the power the next day because the country was in such disarray. After that, the Provisional Government took power. By November of 1917 in Russia, the Provisional Government was in complete collapse. In the meantime, the Bolshevik party, which was helped by German money, had built up an efficient party organisation, had a brilliant propaganda machine, and a powerful private army know as the Red Guards.…

    • 592 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays