Formation of PG

• By 5pm on 27th Feb, the Duma leaders decided to form a Temporary Committee of the State Duma to action on their behalf

  • At the same time in same part of the palace, 30-40 socialist leaders met to discuss recreating the Soviet of the 1905 Revolution
  • Formed a temporary committee and issued an appeal for workers to elect deputies for a soviet meeting that night, Menshevik dominated
• Therefore, from the beginning there was a power share between the Duma and Petrograd Soviet
• After hearing about the formation of the Soviet, Duma Committee sent special commisars to take control of govt offices and communication centres.

  These early actions helped convince the army generals that the revolution would be moderate, and convinced them not to take action
• Night of 27th - 28th Feb Duma Committee and Petrograd Soviet decided to work together via special commissions or agents.

  Worked b/c the Soviet leaders were moderate and Duma ministers were liberal
• Soviet Order Number 1 - each regiment was to elect representatives to the Soviet, officer titles abolished, weapons under control of soldier committees, ultimate control of army was with the Soviet

  • created a dual power of Duma and Soviet, weakened power of duma
• Leaders of soviet turned down the chance to form a govt b/c:

  • Menshs and SRs did not think it was the right time for workers to form govt, had to go through bourgeois revolution first
  • Classical marxism, had to go through capitalist development first
  • Russia needed to become more industrialised
  • Workers needed to become more educated before forming democratically elected govt
• Intellectual socialists wanted to avoid a civil war

  • needed to keep the MC and army on their side
  • Army only didn't interere because they thought the revolution was moderate, would send troops if a socialist govt was formed
  • Intellectual socialists didn't want anger to be turned on them and were inexperienced in govt
• 28 Feb - 2 March, negotiations led to the formation of the new PG. Agreed to be drawn from liberals in Duma, the War Industries Committee and the Union of Zemstvos

  • announced 2 March
• PG led by Prince Lvov, liberal nobleman, known for work in Union of Zemstvos

  • leader of Kadets, Miliukov
  • Kerensky, member of PG as well as Soviet Executive Committee, powerful
• Public Committees, led by Kadets, replaced local govt officials and were supported by local Soviets
• Conservatives in Duma liased with the army to secure the abdication of Nicholas II

  • Once Chief of Staff, Alekseev was convinced the Duma leaders had exerted control over the revolution, he countermandated Nic's orders to send troops to Petrograd and made it clear that he had to abdicate
  • By March 3 the Tsar's brother refused the throne and Romanoc dynasty ended