Pr

Progressive Bloc

Formed when the Russian Duma was recalled to session during the War, Nicholas II's response to mounting social-tensions. In July 1915, the Progressive Party combined with the Cadet Party, Left Octobrists, and Nationalists to form a political front in the duma that supported a social-chauvinist stance towards the continuation of WWI.

Progressive Party

A small group representing the large bourgeois in the Russian Duma, the progressives had attempted to unite the separate parties in the Duma under the flag of non-partisanship.

In November 1912, the progressives formed an independent party.

During WWI the Progressive party was fiercely social-chauvinist, and although in full support of the monarchy, the parties chauvinism outstripped their loyalty, demanding changes to the military leadership due to mounting loses and failures; gearing all national industry to the war effort; and the establishment of a separate "responsible Ministry" with representatives of Russia's industrial bourgeois.

After the February Revolution, some of the parties members served in the provisional government. After the October revolution, the party fought the Soviet government.

Provisional Committee

On February 27 (March 12), 1917, the Duma is called into session on the appeals of Councillor of State Rodzianko, who is desperately trying to save the Empire despite the extraordinary momentum of the February Revolution. At 4pm the Duma resolves to create the Provisional Committee of the State Duma. Its members are among the biggest landowners and most wealthy capitalists in Russia:

M.V. Rodzianko (Octobrist); V.V. Shulgin; V.N. Lvov; I.I. Dmitryukov (Octobrist); S.I. Shidlovsky (Octobrist); M.A. Karaulov; A.F. Kerensky (Labour Party); A.I. Konovalav (Progressive); V.A. Rzhevsky (Progressive); A.A. Bublikov (Progressive); P.N. Milyukov (Cadet); N.V. Nekrasov (Cadet); and N.S. Chkheidze (Menshevik).

The Committee discusses whether they should assume power over the country, filling up the vacuum caused by the revolution and the Tsar's ineptitude. The Committee denies the move, and resolves that it must somewhow save the Tsar. The Committee resolves that the only path towards this is to share power between Tsar and a new Prime Minister. The despondent Tsar refuses this offer. The Committee then asks his brother Mikhail to assume the thrown, who also refuses.

On the following day, left without any other option, the Committee assumes power over the government. Along with the Petrograd Soviet, the Committee creates a new Provisional Government.

Provisional Government

Russian government established after the February Revolution of 1917 and lasting until the October Revolution of 1917.

The provisional government was born by decision of the Duma, which on the 27th of February, formed the Provisional Committee of Duma Members. The committee consisted of 12 members, chaired by Mikhail Rodzyanko (Octobrist), and was mostly made up of members of the Progressive Bloc, though it included two Socialists: Alexander Kerensky and Nikolai Chkheidze.

By March 1, the commandant of the Palace Guard at Tsarskoe Selo, and hundreds of high ranking officers announced their support for the provisional committee; the workers' and soldiers' revolution of February sent the monarchist officers a clear message: support for the Tsar would no longer be tolerated. The Provisional Committee attempted to gain legal legitimacy through the Tsar, but when Nicholas II refused, the committee assumed power.

Later in the day, the Committee asked the Ispolkom of the Petrograd Soviet for its support. The Ispolkom, without consulting the Soviet, presented an eight point programme, its conditions for support of the government:

1. Amnesty for all political prisoners
2. The right to speak, assemble, and strike
3. Equality for all nationalities, religions, and social origins.
4. Convocation of the Constituent Assembly
5. Police organs to be replaced by militia whose officers were elected
6. New elections to the soviets
7. Military units that participated in the Revolution not be sent to the front
8. Off duty-soldiers to receive temporary status as civilians

The programme was neither accepted nor declined, but 'taken into consideration'; the Committee largely considering it consistent with their aims. A day after the Ispolkom presented it to the Provisional Committee, it asked the Petrograd Soviet to approve it, though the Soviet responded by pressing the demand that a "supervisory committee" be elected to serve as the correspondent to the Provisional Committee.

On March 2, 1917, the Provisional Committee became the Provisional Government. Pavel Milyukov picked the members of the new cabinet.

Chairman and Minister of the Interior: Prince G. E. Lvov
Minister of Foreign Affairs: P. N. Milyukov
Minister of Justice: A. F. Kerensky
Minister of Transport: N. V. Nekrasov
Minister of Posts and Telegraphs: I. G. Tsereteli
Minister of Trade: A. I. Konovalov
Minister of Public Education: A. A. Manuilov
Minister of War: A. I. Guchkov
Minister of Agriculture: A. I. Shingaryov
Minister of Treasury: M. I. Tereschenko
Minister of State Accounts: I. V. Godnev
Minister of Religion: V. N. Lvov

The Imperial family was arrested on the following day, March 3, 1917.

On April 18, 1917, Milyukov sent the Allied governments confirmation that Russia was prepared to continue the fight in WWI to a "victorious end". Immediately thereafter, massive spontaneous demonstrations of workers soldiers and peasants erupted against the continuation of war, reaching enormous proportions on April 20 and 21.

The Provisional Government responded by pushing the Foreign Minister Milyukov and War Minister Guchkov out of the government, and made a proposal to the Petrograd Soviet to form a coalition government, while Russia's participation in the war raged on. [...]

On October 25, 1917 the workers, soldiers, and peasantry of Russia combined with the Bolshevik party and toppled the Provisional Government. The sections of the army loyal to the provisional government refused to suppress the revolts, and instead did nothing or turned sides to the revolution. At the end of the second day the Winter Palace was taken; the esteemed palace guards refusing to fight the rising red tide.

The Minsters of the Provisional Government fled the country, some of who later assisted the United States, France, Britain, and Japan in the invasion of the R.S.F.S.R. during the Civil Wars of 1918-1922.