The Story of the Great War, Volume 6: History of the European War from Official Sources
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume 6: History of the European War from Official Sources
World War, 1914-1918
Paul Milukov retired as Foreign Minister, for his nationalistic
utterances in regard to Constantinople had aroused against him all the
radicals. Prince Lvov remained as premier. Kerensky became Minister of
War. The Minister of Finance, Terestchenko, became Minister of Foreign
Affairs. Shingarev, a Social Revolutionist, became Minister of
Finance. Altogether the new cabinet included six radicals. Immediately
afterward the council passed a resolution of confidence in the new
government and urged all its constituents to support it. Kerensky
then stated that he would immediately leave for a tour of the front
for the purpose of exhorting the soldiers to submit to military
organization and that an iron discipline would be instituted. The
generals at the front now withdrew their resignations, which had not
been accepted, and returned to their posts.
During this period two important conventions were held in Petrograd; a
national congress of the Cossacks and a national congress of peasants.
The former declared itself for a strong offensive against the enemy
but passed no political resolutions other than to support the
Provisional Government. The peasants' congress did likewise and also
showed itself strongly Socialistic in its election of officers.
Lenine, however, who was one of the candidates, received only 11
votes, as against 810 polled by Tchernov, a Social Revolutionist, and
809 by Catherine Breshkovskaya, the "grandmother of the revolution."
During the month of June, 1917, the Provisional Government made
distinct progress, considering the almost insurmountable obstacles
inherent in such a situation as it had to face. From now on there was
very little friction between the cabinet and the council; they worked
together with comparative harmony. The fact that the radical elements
were now so well represented in the ministry probably was the chief
reason, but the personality of Kerensky was now beginning to rise as
the dominating figure of the new Russia. A fairly extreme radical
himself, with the confidence of his associates, he was also respected
by the more conservative elements on account of his sanity and
practical abilities. On June 1, 1917, A. I. Konovalov, Minister of
Commerce and Trade, resigned on account of friction with his
associates over what he considered the Government's interference with
private industries, but this incident passed quietly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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