Russian Provisional Government

The post-tsarist government that ruled Russia from the February Revolution of 1917 until the Bolshevik takeover in October. It shared authority with the Petrograd Soviet and failed to end the war or resolve demands for land and political change.

Dual Power: A situation in which two institutions claim governing authority over the same state. The government’s authority was contested by the Petrograd Soviet, creating the defining political arrangement of 1917.
February Revolution: The 1917 uprising that ended the Russian monarchy and brought a provisional government to power. The revolution forced Nicholas II’s abdication and created the opening for a new government.
Georgy Lvov: A Russian liberal politician who headed the Provisional Government from March to July 1917. As its first head, he struggled to reconcile liberal reforms with mounting popular and military demands.
June Offensive: A Russian military campaign against the Central Powers launched in June 1917 and ending in retreat. The offensive’s failure damaged confidence in the government and intensified unrest among soldiers.
Petrograd Soviet: A council of workers’ and soldiers’ delegates that became a major political authority in revolutionary Petrograd. Its support helped sustain the government, while its independent power limited ministerial control.
Nicholas II: The last emperor of Russia, whose abdication in 1917 ended the Romanov monarchy. His abdication removed the sovereign authority the new government replaced.
Alexander Kerensky: A Russian socialist politician who became head of the Provisional Government in July 1917. His premiership defined the government’s final months and its failed effort to contain the Bolsheviks.
July Days: An armed uprising in Petrograd in July 1917, driven by soldiers, sailors, and workers. The government survived the uprising but used repression against the Bolsheviks and lost further legitimacy.
Order No. 1: A March 1917 decree of the Petrograd Soviet establishing soldiers’ committees and limiting officers’ authority. It weakened the government’s control over the armed forces and embodied the Soviet’s independent reach.
Russian Duma: The elected legislative assembly of the Russian Empire, created after the 1905 Revolution. Duma leaders formed the committee that became the government after the monarchy collapsed.

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