How far were the weaknesses of the Provisional Government responsible for the October/Nov. Revolution of 1917?
They were very significant in its downfall for a number of reasons. Firstly, it was not elected by the people-they claimed the revolution appointed them, meaning that they had no constitutional claim on power or the Russian people. Secondly, the Provisional Government failed to call for a National Constituent Assembly to be elected, which would have cemented their hold on a new, democratic Russia. Thirldy, the Provisional Government agreed to keep on fighting the war, despite the huge opposition to it within the country-it among other things had caused the February Revolution-as it needed the funding that the Allies promised them. Fourthly, the Government granted an amnesty to all political exiles who had been exiled by the Tsar. This was a grave mistake as they allowed many revolutionaries such as Lenin back into the country-Kerensky admitted that they didn’t do enough to capture him even after his role in the July Days. Lastly, the Kornilov Affair greatly weakened the Provisional Gov
