The 2nd coalition Provisional Government was formed

July 24 (August 6), 1917 was formed the 2nd coalition Provisional Government.

By mid-summer 1917, Russia was in a deep political and socio-economic crisis. The 1st coalition government under the chairmanship of Prince G. E. Lvov could not solve the main problems which the country and the society were facing. In June, it suffered a political crisis due to the strike of Petrograd workers at 29 plants.

The Bolsheviks tried to take advantage of the workers’ discontent in order to organize antigovernment demonstrations 10 (23) June. The 1st All-Russian Congress of Soviets forbade holding of the demonstration, while deciding to hold in its turn on June 18 (July 1) a demonstration in the Champ de Mars to lay wreaths on the graves of victims of the February revolution. The demonstration was attended by about 500, 000 people under anti-government slogans. Demonstrations were also held in many cities of Russia.

The reason for the new, July crisis was the government's decision about the beginning of the offensive at the front. Having created a large group of troops in the South-Western sector, the Headquarters sought to begin active operations as soon as possible. The offensive began on June 18 (July 1), and had been quite successfully developing at the beginning. But the victory was not gained. Failure of the offensive provoked strong protests of soldiers in the capital who did not want to be sent to the front. Already July 2 (15), in Petrograd begun rallies of many thousand men. The situation was aggravated by ambiguous situation in Ukraine: there was an active formation of national military units, while the Central Rada, that headed the Ukrainian national liberation movement, proclaimed Ukraine's autonomy against the wishes of the Provisional Government. On the night of 3 (16) July ministers cadets, due to disagreements on the Ukrainian question, withdrew from the government, which made the situation in Petrograd explosive. In these circumstances, the soldiers of the capital, who were strongly influenced by the anarchists and Bolsheviks, began revolting.

In the evening of 3 (16) July, the Moscow Grenadier Regiment, the Pavlov Regiment, the 180th Regiment, the 1st Reserve Regiment and the 6th Battalion entered the streets calling for overthrow of the Provisional Government. 4 (17) July a large group of Kronstadt sailors arrived to Petrograd. In these circumstances, the Provisional Government declared martial law in the capital and called its loyal troops from the front, which were ordered to arrest the "ringleaders" of the July demonstration. The government crisis deepened with the resignation of the Prime Minister G. Lvov on 7 (20) July. 8 (21) July, A. F. Kerensky headed the Cabinet, retaining the post of Minister of War and Navy.

July 24 (August 6) the 2nd coalition government was formed. It included: Minister-President and Secretary of the Navy, A. F. Kerensky; Deputy Presindent and Minister of Finance, N. V. Nekrasov (radical-democratic party); ministers: of Interior – N. D. Avksentyev (SR); of Foreign Affairs – M. I. Tereshchenko; of Justice – A. S. Zarudny ("national socialist"); of education – S. F. Oldenburg (Cadet); of Trade and Industry – S. N. Prokopovich ("non-factional Social Democrat "); of Agriculture – V. M. Chernov; of Posts and Telegraphs – A. M. Nikitin (Menshevik); of Labour – M. I. Skobelev (Menshevik); of Food - A. V. Peshekhonov; of Public Charity – I. N. Efremov (radical-democratic party); of Transport – P. P. Yurenev (Cadet); Chief Prosecutor of the Synod – A. V. Kartashev (Cadet); State Controller - F. F. Kokoshkin (Cadet). The government under Kerensky tried to pursue a policy of maneuvering between the main political forces in the country, which, however, caused discontent in both camps. Ill-considered political moves of the Provisional Government had led the country to the next acute crisis – the Kornilov Revolt of 27-31 August (9-13September), which put the end to the 2nd short-lived coalition government.

Lit.: Знаменский О. Н., Июльский кризис 1917 г., М.; Л., 1964; Рабинович А. Е. Кровавые дни. Июльское восстание 1917 года в Петрограде. Пер. с англ. М., 1992; Старцев В. И. Крах керенщины. Л., 1982; Суханов Н. Н. Записки о революции: В 3 т. Т. 1. М., 1991; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://www.magister.msk.ru/library/history/xx/suhanov/suhan000.htm.

Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:

The July Days // 1917: [digital collection];

The Second Crisis of the Provisional Government // 1917: [digital collection].