The February Revolution rapidly led to remarkable new freedoms in Russia, historically a repressed nation. The new justice minister, Alexander Kerensky, boasted that overnight Russia had become the freest country in the world. But much remained to be done. The Provisional Government was basically self appointed. Russia needed a democratically elected government and a constitution laying out its powers and responsibilities.
If Russia had been at peace, it might have been the political space needed to work all this out. But Russia was at war, and the Provisional Government had to balance her obligations to her wartime allies against the war-weariness of the Russian people. They could not afford to alienate either.
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Fanfare
Opening War Theme
Pictures at an ExhibitionComposed by Modest Mussorgsky in 1874, arranged by Maurice Ravel. Public domain.
Performed by the Skidmore College Orchestra. Public domain recording. Source.
Closing War Theme
Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.