- In full:
- Aleksandr Fyodorovich Kerensky
- Title / Office:
- Duma (1912-1917), Russia
- Political Affiliation:
- Socialist Revolutionary Party
Aleksandr Kerensky
-
Who was Aleksandr Kerensky?
Aleksandr Kerensky (1881–1970) was a moderate socialist revolutionary and head of the Russian provisional government from July to October 1917.
Kerensky studied law, joined the Socialist Revolutionary Party, and defended revolutionaries. In 1912, he was elected to the fourth Duma as a Trudoviki delegate and gained a reputation as an eloquent, dynamic politician.
Kerensky supported Russia’s participation in World War I and urged the dissolution of the monarchy. He instituted civil liberties and became a popular figure. As minister of war, he planned an offensive that failed. As prime minister, he alienated political factions and lost the confidence of the left wing. When the Bolsheviks seized power in the October Revolution of 1917, Kerensky was unable to defend his government and emigrated to the U.S. in 1940.
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What role did Kerensky play in Russia's government in 1917?
In 1917, Aleksandr Kerensky played a prominent role in Russia's government, transitioning from minister of justice to minister of war and navy, and eventually becoming prime minister in July. As prime minister, Kerensky aimed to unite political factions but struggled to gain broad support. His decision to declare Russia a republic and convene a State Assembly aimed to solidify his government's authority but yielded limited success. Kerensky's leadership was challenged by the Kornilov revolt, which further destabilized his position and paved the way for the Bolsheviks to seize power in the October Revolution.
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What was the Provisional Government?
The Russian Provisional Government was the internationally recognized government in Russia from February to October 1917. It was formed by the Duma after the collapse of the Romanov dynasty. Initially, the government was composed of liberal ministers, with Aleksandr Kerensky of the Socialist Revolutionary Party as an exception. Over its eight-month existence, the Provisional Government was reorganized twice, each time as a coalition of several political parties. However, it could not adequately address the country's major problems and was overthrown in a bloodless coup by the Bolsheviks during the second phase of the Russian Revolution.
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Why did Kerensky face challenges as prime minister?
Aleksandr Kerensky faced significant challenges as prime minister of the Russian Provisional Government due to several factors:
- Failed Military Offensives As minister of war, Kerensky planned a new military offensive to inspire the troops, but it was unsuccessful due to war weariness and lack of discipline. The Kerensky Offensive led to a catastrophic rout of Russian forces.
- Alienation of Political Factions Despite his efforts to unite all political factions, Kerensky soon alienated both moderates and the left wing. His attempts to unite various political factions only succeeded in alienating them.
- Kornilov Affair Kerensky dismissed his commander in chief, General Lavr G. Kornilov, and personally replaced him. The Kornilov rebellion was a defeat for the right, but it was certainly no victory for Kerensky.
- Bolshevik Influence The Bolsheviks gained influence and support among the working class and military forces, further undermining Kerensky's government.
- World War I Russia's continued participation in World War I led to economic strain, food shortages, and a general sense of war-weariness among the population.
- Internal Collapse The Russian army's spirit was broken, and the people were tired of the war. Order No. 1, issued by the Petrograd Soviet, destroyed discipline among the troops.
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How did Kerensky respond to the Bolshevik Revolution?
When the Bolsheviks seized power in the October Revolution of 1917, Aleksandr Kerensky, the prime minister of the Russian Provisional Government, escaped to the front in an attempt to rally forces to defend his government. However, he was unsuccessful in gathering enough support to defend his government. Kerensky went into hiding and eventually emigrated to Western Europe in May 1918.
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What happened to Kerensky after he lost power?
After losing power in the October Revolution of 1917, Aleksandr Kerensky fled to the front in an attempt to rally support against the Bolsheviks, but he was unsuccessful. He remained in hiding until May 1918, when he emigrated to western Europe. Kerensky devoted himself to writing books on the revolution and editing émigré newspapers and journals. In 1940, he moved to the United States, where he lectured at universities and continued to write about his experiences during the revolution.
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Aleksandr Kerensky (born April 22 [May 2, New Style], 1881, Simbirsk [now Ulyanovsk], Russia—died June 11, 1970, New York, New York, U.S.) was a moderate socialist revolutionary who served as head of the Russian provisional government from July to October 1917 (Old Style).
(Read Leon Trotsky’s 1926 Britannica essay on Lenin.)
While studying law at the University of St. Petersburg, Kerensky was attracted to the Narodniki (or populist) revolutionary movement. After graduating (1904), he joined the Socialist Revolutionary Party (c. 1905) and became a prominent lawyer, frequently defending revolutionaries accused of political offenses. In 1912 he was elected to the fourth Duma as a Trudoviki (Labour Group) delegate from Volsk (in Saratov province), and in the next several years he gained a reputation as an eloquent, dynamic politician of the moderate left.
Unlike some of the more radical socialists, he supported Russia’s participation in World War I. He became increasingly disappointed with the tsarist regime’s conduct of the war effort, however, and, when the February Revolution broke out (1917), he urged the dissolution of the monarchy. He enthusiastically accepted the posts of vice chairman of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies and of minister of justice in the provisional government, formed by the Duma. The only person to hold positions in both governing bodies, he assumed the role of liaison between them. He instituted basic civil liberties—e.g., the freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and religion; universal suffrage; and equal rights for women—throughout Russia and became one of the most widely known and popular figures among the revolutionary leadership.
In May, when a public uproar over the announcement of Russia’s war aims (which Kerensky had approved) forced several ministers to resign, Kerensky was transferred to the posts of minister of war and of the navy and became the dominant personality in the new government. He subsequently planned a new offensive and toured the front, using his inspiring rhetoric to instill in the demoralized troops a desire to renew their efforts and defend the revolution. His eloquence, however, proved inadequate compensation for war weariness and lack of military discipline. Kerensky’s June Offensive was an unmitigated failure.
When the provisional government was again compelled to reorganize in July, Kerensky, who adhered to no rigid political dogma and whose dramatic oratorical style appeared to win him broad popular support, became prime minister. Despite his efforts to unite all political factions, he soon alienated the moderates and the officers’ corps by summarily dismissing his commander in chief, General Lavr G. Kornilov, and personally replacing him (September); he also lost the confidence of the left wing by refusing to implement their radical social and economic programs and by apparently planning to assume dictatorial powers.
Consequently, when the Bolsheviks seized power (October Revolution, 1917), Kerensky, who escaped to the front, was unable to gather forces to defend his government. He remained in hiding until May 1918, when he emigrated to western Europe and devoted himself to writing books on the revolution and editing émigré newspapers and journals. In 1940 he moved to the United States, where he lectured at universities and continued to write books on his revolutionary experiences.
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