Nature of PG

• Main function of PG was to rule Russia until elections could be held for a Constituent Assembly

  • wanted to wait until a universal, secret and direct ballot existed
  • for the PG, it was a way to facilitate democratic development
  • for socialists, it was a means of carrying out radical revolution
  • for nationalists, it was a means of asserting autonomy
• In provinces, commissions appointed by PG had no real power over the reformed city council or local soviet
• Dual Authority:

  • Real power was w Soviet, they had power over soldiers and weapons
  • PG had formal authority but little power, and Soviet had real power but no formal responsibility
  • Difficult for PG to make real changes, everything they wanted to implement had to be supported by soviet
• Key issues of March 1917:

  • War - peace with national shame or keep fighting in a defensive war or gain territory?
  • Land - how to redistribute
  • National minorities
  • Economy
  • Social reform for workers
• Liberal Policies:

  • Committed to continuing the war w/ Allies. After war, wanted Western help for their democracy and wanted to remain an international power. Milyukov (War Minister) wanted territorial gains.
  • Wanted the problem of land to be left to the CA
  • Did not want to break up the old empire
  • Wanted to delay elections for CA until after the war, when a settled atmosphere would improve their chances to win
• Socialist policies:

  • Prepared to co-operate with PG while acting as a watchdog for the public's interests
  • Defensive war only, no territory gains
  • Wanted to leave land issue to CA
  • Wanted to offer more self-government and local control to nationalities, esp Ukraine
• SRs and Mensheviks split over war

  • Conservative SRs favoured a continuation of defensive war, and Left SRs wanted to end it
  • Mensheviks supported war
• 2nd Coalition govt: May - July 1917

  • Tsereteli - Minister of Post and Telegraph (Mensh)
  • Chernov - Minister of Agriculture (leader of SRs)
  • Tereschenko - Foreign minister (Kadet supporter)
• 2nd coalition govt put pressure on moderate socialists:

  • had to solve a wide range of problems, faced a dilemma
  • in conflict in terms of policy with non-socialist coalition
  • if they pushed their own policies it would alienate their coalition and cause division, if they didn't it would alienate their supporters
  • Fear of civil war led them to be moderate and compromise