What were the Problems with the Provisional Govt.?

What were the Problems with the Provisional Govt.?

1. WAR

   • Milyukov, minister of war, - to make territorial gains at the end of April 1917.
     • Socialists in the PS angry as they wanted a defensive war - Milyukov forced to resign
   • PG's attitude towards war was negative + so allowed Bolshevism to flourish
   • SUMMER OFFENSIVE
     • 16/06/1917 for 3 days
     • major military offensive against Germans
     • new MofWar, Kerensky, ran propaganda campaign + gave speeches to gain support
       • K was pop. and this gained support
     • soilders h/ever desserted in high #
       • resulted in many soilders killed and lots of land lost to Germany
     • PG survived immediate effects but moderate socialists lost credibility to soilders + workers in the long term
     • Effects at home led to armed uprising (July Days)
   • JULY DAYS
     • 3/07 - 20000 soldiers from Kronstadt arrived in the Petrograd
       • marched on Tauride palace + demanded the soviets take power
         • Chernov (SR leader) went to calm them but was captured + later saved by Trotsky
     • Unsuccessful;
       • lack of leadership
       • loyal soviet troops arrived + crowds dispersed
       • several Bolsh leaders arrested
     • Sukhanov; described armed groups as being led by 'Bolsh lieutenants' but evid. suggests leaders were far from committed

2. LAND

   • unrest in countryside as P still unhappy as still didnt have land
   • due to collapse govt. there was no one to stop p taking land
     • Summer 17; Land seizures escalated -237 cases in July
   • Liberals in PG unwilling to hand over land; concerns such as compensation for landowners
     • P didnt find this reasonable + cont to take land/livestock

3. NATIONAL MINORITIES

   • Problems between libs + socialists over demands of NM
   • wanted ind. from the empire
   • Problem when Ukraine wanted self-govt as they had most valuable farmland in empire

4. POOR ECONOMIC SITUATION

   • shortages of fuel =factories shutting down = unemployment
     • 10000 jobs lost after 568 factories shut between feb-july
   • wages increased (blacksmith £1.25 in july '14 to £8.50 in August '17) but costs of basics rose
   • Food shortages
     • govt increased what it paid for grain by 100% but didnt convince p to bring grain to cities
       • grain prices doubled in petrograd