Click Here to Return to 'Birth of Soviet Union' Homepage

What is Provisional Government?

A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a previous administration or regime. When the authority of the Tsar's government began falling apart after February Revolution  of 1917. Tsar Nicholas II abdicated on March 2, and nominated his brother, Grand Duke Michael as the next tsar. But there was a problem because Grand Duke did not want to become the Tsar of Russia.

The Provisional Government also committed two huge blunders:

1.) It refused to give land to poor peasants in the rural areas. This proves that the provisional government did not understand the desires of the poor or lower classes. To survive the poor needed land but they were refused by Alexander Kerensky. He was the man who had informed the Duma on March 11th that 25,000 troops were on the way to support them.

2.) By far the biggest blunder was the decision taken by the Provisional Government to keep Russia in World War 1. This was a curious decision as the war was hated by the Russian people who had suffered greatly as a result of the war.

Why did the Provisional Government fail?

It failed to enact land reforms demanded by the peasantry, who made up about 80% of the population. Also, too many people were dieing in the war, many resources were directed towards the war effort and not the people which resulted in starvation, and Russia was losing the war. As a result of all of this, people started revolting and turning against the government.