Provisional government

• The Provisional Government took over the running of the government after the abdication of the Tsar in March 1917.
• The Provisional Government's main priority was to set up elections for a new constituent assembly.
• The Petrograd Soviet was seen as a more democratic organization by many workers, soldiers, and peasants.
• The Provisional Government decided to continue fighting in the war until a new elected government could make an official decision.
• Lenin and the Bolsheviks gained support quickly, particularly in the soviets and the army, with their slogans of "peace, land, and bread" and "all power to the Soviets."
• The April thesis demanded the transfer of power to the Soviets, the immediate end of the war, and the state takeover of all land to be re-allocated to peasants by local soviets.
• In July 1917, the Bolsheviks led protests against the war, which turned into a rebellion, but support for the rebellion fell when evidence of German support for Lenin was revealed.
• In September 1917, Kornilov marched his troops towards Petrograd to get rid of the Bolsheviks and the Provisional Government, but Kerensky turned to the Bolsheviks for help and their Red Guard army prevented Kornilov's plan.
• By October 1917, the Provisional Government had lost support from the army, peasants, and town workers, while the Bolsheviks promised bread, peace, and land and had strengthened their image by removing the threat of Kornilov.
• In the summer of 1917, the Provisional Government faced problems as the war effort failed, soldiers deserted, and peasants began seizing land.