The Fall of the Russian Provisional Government and Tsarism

Challenges of the Russian Provisional Government

In March 1917, when the Tsar's government collapsed, the members of the Duma established the Provisional Government, led by Alexander Kerensky.

The Provisional Government never truly ruled Russia. From the beginning, it was forced to share power with the Petrograd Soviet, which operated under Order No. 1. This rule stated that its members should only obey the Provisional Government if the Soviet agreed with its decisions. For this reason, the period from March to November 1917 is often referred to as the era of Dual Government in Russia.

Disastrously, because it was only a temporary body, the Provisional Government failed to carry out any major reforms. Its primary actions were the abolition of the Okhrana (the secret police) and press censorship, alongside the granting of political freedom. This provided the government's opponents—such as Lenin's Bolsheviks—the freedom to attack the administration for the very problems it was failing to solve.

The most significant problem for the Provisional Government was its attempt to continue World War I. In June 1917, it organized an attack on Austria. When the offensive failed, the public began to turn against the government. Instead, they started to follow Lenin, whose popular message was: 'Peace, bread, land.'

How World War I Weakened the Tsarist Regime

1. The Impact on the Army

Initially, the army was very enthusiastic about the war. Soldiers believed they were defending their country, regardless of their feelings toward the Tsar. Furthermore, the Tsar went to the front to lead the army personally, which initially raised the soldiers' morale. However, as they quickly began to lose battles, the army became depressed and angry with the Tsar, viewing him as a poor strategist.

2. The Crisis for Workers

The war had devastating consequences for workers. The railways were prioritized for the war effort, meaning food supplies did not reach the cities. Logically, this angered the workers and urban populations. They grew resentful of the Tsar because they lacked food and their living conditions were increasingly dire.

3. Discontent Among the Middle Classes

While they did not suffer as severely as the lower classes, the middle classes were also unhappy with the Tsar due to the skyrocketing price of food and basic goods.

4. The Alienation of the Aristocracy

The aristocracy initially had no issues with the Tsar’s government. However, with the onset of the war, Tsarina Alexandra began governing while the Tsar was away at the front. The Tsarina turned to Rasputin to help her make critical decisions, but he failed as well. The aristocracy blamed the Tsarina for these failures, suspicious of her because she was German and believing that she was secretly aiding Germany.