Dual power in Russia (1917): table, causes and results

The February revolution completely changed both the social and political structure of the former Russian Empire. Many power structures were abolished, a serious reform of the bureaucratic apparatus began. At first, all this sometimes led to very remarkable, strange forms of government. An ideal example is the dual power in Russia in 1917. Its causes and results should be discussed separately.

What it is?

As a result of the revolution, Russia began to rule a very peculiar apparatus, which was formed by the Provisional Government and the Council of Workers 'and Soldiers' Deputies. By that time, the Government consisted of ten people: four Cadets, two Octobrists, one Progressist and Socialist Revolutionary Party, as well as one representative from the Land Council and one non-partisan member. The composition of the Council included mainly the Socialist-Revolutionaries and Mensheviks. They believed that their body was not yet completely ready to govern the state, and therefore should confine itself to overseeing the actions of the Government.

So, Dual power in Russia in 1917 is a system of state administration in which power was divided between two organs: the Provisional Government and the Council of Workers 'and Peasants' Deputies. Theoretically, such a scheme presupposed mutual control and avoidance of "excesses" that are beneficial only to certain specific social strata. In practice, everything turned out not so good.

Causes

By the way, why did the dual power in Russia in 1917 arise? The reasons for this are rather banal. First, we already noted that all political forces in Russia at that time were eager for the authorities, but they could not negotiate among themselves resolutely.

In addition, there was complete reluctance to bear responsibility for their actions. Is not it a familiar situation? For example, no one could decide to withdraw the country from the war, although its futility had long been understood by all sectors of society. While there was a dual power in Russia in 1917, practically nothing was done for the real transfer of land to the peasants, which they had already awaited since 1861. Naturally, all this set the people against the Provisional Government and the Council.

Relations between the Council and the Government

In the Government, two points of view on attitude towards the Socialist Council prevailed. Both were similar: in the first case, the deputies considered that it was impossible to make concessions in general, in the second - that it was necessary to gradually take over all management initiatives. But in reality it was completely impossible to ignore the Council, because it relied on the support of the armed people.

That is why in the declaration, which was adopted on March 3, 1917, a full political amnesty was approved together with him, civil freedom and the abolition of capital punishment were abolished, class and class discrimination was prohibited, and the convocation of the Constituent Assembly was also announced.

Contradictions in the March declaration

The gross mistake made by the dual power in Russia in 1917 was that the members of these management bodies did not say a word about the cessation of senseless war, nor about the confiscation of the land of the landlords. In addition, the promised proclamation of a democratic republic also did not happen. Not least, this was due to the fact that the Provisional Government aspired at all costs to concentrate all state power in its hands.

What was the state structure in the first time after the February revolution?

Originally, the old management apparatus was completely preserved. In place of the governors, the trusted commissars of the Government were planted. Legislation has remained the same. The police was replaced by the people's militia. At first the people trusted the Provisional Government with confidence, as people believed that its members would finally stop the war and lead the country out of the crisis.

So, the dual power in Russia. 1917 in the yard, in the country a lot of unresolved social and economic problems. Resources for their solution were available, almost all social strata were for the new authorities, since the tsarist government in recent years did nothing at all, quickly and decisively bringing the country to the crisis. But why did not the Provisional Government succeed?

Control errors

The solution of the most pressing issue of the land was postponed until the last, up to the convocation of the Constituent Assembly. Therefore, it is not surprising that for the majority of the population the Government has again become hostile and alien. The tension grew, after which the crises of the Provisional Government began.

On April 18, PN Milyukov, who was Foreign Minister at that time, told in his message to the Allies that Russia, in spite of everything, intends "to fight until the end." The people went out to protest thousands of people, not wanting to send their loved ones to the hateful whole war. Milyukov and Defense Minister AI Guchkov were immediately dismissed. Already at the beginning of May, the Provisional Government included several Mensheviks and Socialist-Revolutionaries.

Coalition Government

This is the time of coalition rule, when the country was ruled by "10 capitalists" and "six socialists". However, even this problem could not be solved. Under such conditions, extremely favorable conditions were created for the people to support Bolshevism. June 3, 1917 at the First All-Union Congress of Soviets acted Lenin VI, who by that time had returned from exile.

He said that his party, seeing the mess going on in the country, is ready to take all power into its own hands and restore order. Thus, the dual power in Russia in 1917 began to lose all support of all strata of the population. The policy of the Government and the Council did not please anyone.

Direction - on a dictatorship!

The Mensheviks and the Socialist-Revolutionaries got especially hard, since they "cooperated with the bourgeoisie" in the person of the Provisional Government. In the working environment, the Bolsheviks have more and more supporters. The events that took place on June 18 demonstrated this particularly clearly. On this day, the Council planned an action in support of the Provisional Government. The Bolsheviks reacted to such a clear threat instantly, summoning the workers to a "spontaneous" rally.

In St. Petersburg alone, not less than five hundred thousand people came out to the streets, who "brought to the masses" slogans known to everyone: "All power to the Soviets!", "Down with the capitalist ministers!", "Down with the war!".

Failures at the front

The crisis of the Government was not far off, but at that time the offensive of Russian troops on the South-Western Front began. In just ten days it completely choked, Russia's losses were huge. According to scattered archive summaries, it can be concluded that about 60 thousand soldiers died. There is a new political crisis.

On July 8, the Central Committee of the Cadets adopted a decision on the complete withdrawal from the "collaborationist government", which was already in full swing negotiations with the nationalist parties of Ukraine, agreeing on the conditions for the withdrawal of this newly emerged country from Russia.

Soon, on the streets of St. Petersburg, thousands of demonstrations were already boiling, held under the slogans of transferring all power to the Bolsheviks. This time the situation was complicated by the fact that among the people there were many armed soldiers and sailors. In general, dual power in Russia in 1917 existed largely due to the people's belief that its deputies will be able to end the war. When this did not happen, the trust of the electorate was lost immediately.

Sunset of dual power

The government adopted a fateful decision on the need to use force. At least 700 people were killed, and the state administration is gradually beginning to slip into a banal dictatorship. A martial law was introduced , military units were quickly withdrawn from the capital, virtually all radical newspapers were completely closed.

The second coalition government

A decision is issued on the early arrest of VI Lenin and GE Zinoviev, who at that time headed the Bolshevik Party. On July 24, the "second edition" of the coalition government was formed, which included eight "capitalists" and seven "socialists" this time. The well-known AF Kerensky becomes the Prime Minister of the new authority.

Because of what happened social upheavals, thanks to which the dual power in Russia in 1917 ended? The table briefly describes how the three crises that happened up to that time, and the reasons that led to them.

In fact, the dual power in Russia in 1917 on this and ended, since after the creation of this government, the state was actually headed by the Mensheviks. To put it simply, there was no longer any talk about a division of power. So, what did the dual power in Russia in 1917 lead to? The results were disappointing:

• A huge social crisis was brewing in the country.
• The army and the navy were clearly not on the side of the government.
• No one decided to withdraw the country from the war.
• The land was not given to the peasants.
• The people did not wait for necessary social and economic reforms.

In general, a dual power in Russia of 1917, the scheme of which has been repeatedly mentioned above, is a fine example of how weak and insecure political forces that "got hold of" power are unable to do something really useful. The Bolsheviks also captivated the hearts of people that they preferred not only to rant, but also acted.

It was they who stopped Russia's participation in the war, although they did it through the "Shameful Brest Peace", as Lenin himself spoke about directly. However, the offensive of relative peace and respite for the country was worth it. We hope that you have learned about the factors that forever ended the dual power in Russia in 1917. The table that we gave above describes the main reasons.

The Mutiny of Kornilov

After the dual power was abolished, an attempt was made to rally all political forces in the country in order to prevent it from slipping into the chaos of the civil war. In mid-August, the Grand National Assembly was held, in which all the political forces of the country took part. Except Bolsheviks. Alas, the attempt to reach an agreement failed once again: the Mensheviks advocated real reforms and co-existence with the Soviet, but the bourgeoisie insisted on a dictatorship and the final elimination of all socialists.

Under these conditions, a military coup d'etat was launched, at the helm of which was General L. G. Kornilov. His program envisaged not only the complete elimination of the leaders of Bolshevism, but also mobilization measures in the economy, the restoration of the death penalty in the navy and in the army. The latter was necessary in order to stop the rapidly developing disintegration of the troops. Kornilov miscalculated: almost all political parties rose against him, which was not at all impressed by the restoration of the tsarist dictatorship. Within a week, the mutiny was suppressed.

If you carefully read the first part of the article, then for sure you remember that the dual power in Russia in 1917 ended in consequence of indecisiveness of the deputies of the Soviets and the Provisional Government. The same is due to the following events: finally, having received real power, all political parties fell into apathy. Their members already needed nothing, and therefore the Bolsheviks easily seized state administration into their own hands, using the full support of the tired of all this people.