| Conventional Long Name: | Russian Republic Russian Democratic Federative Republic |
| P1: | Russian Empire |
| Flag P1: | Flag of Russia.svg |
| P2: | Russian Provisional Government |
| Flag P2: | Flag of Russia.svg |
| S1: | Russian SFSRRSFSR |
| Flag S1: | Flag of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1918–1925).svg |
| S2: | Russian State (1918–1920)Russian State |
| Flag S2: | Flag of Russia.svg |
| S3: | Transcaucasian CommissariatTranscaucasian |
| Flag S3: | Flag of Russia.svg |
| S4: | Turkestan AutonomyTurkestan |
| Flag S4: | Flag of the Turkestan (Kokand) Autonomy.svg |
| S6: | Alash AutonomyAlash |
| Flag S6: | Flag of Alash Autonomy.svg |
| Flag S7: | Flag of the Crimean Tatar people.svg |
| S7: | Crimean People's RepublicCrimea |
| Flag S8: | Flag of the Moldavian Democratic Republic.svg |
| S8: | Moldavian Democratic RepublicMoldavia |
| S9: | State of Buryat-MongoliaBuryat-Mongolia |
| S10: | Provisional Siberian Government (Vladivostok)Siberia |
| Flag S10: | Flag of Provisional Siberian Government.svg |
| Flag S11: | Flag of Ukraine (1917–1921).svg |
| S11: | Ukrainian People's RepublicUkraine |
| Flag S12: | Flag of Estonia.svg |
| S12: | History of Estonia (1920–1939)Estonia |
| S13: | Yakut revolt (1918)Yakutia |
| Flag S13: | Flag of Germany (1867–1918).svg |
| S14: | Idel-Ural StateIdel-Ural |
| Flag S14: | Idel-Ural flag.svg |
| Flag S15: | Flag of the Confederated Republic of Altai.svg |
| S15: | Karakorum GovernmentAltai |
| Flag S16: | Flag of Belarus (1918, 1991–1995).svg |
| S16: | Belarusian Democratic RepublicBelarus |
| S17: | Green Ukraine |
| Flag S17: | Flag of Russia.svg |
| S18: | Mountainous Republic of the Northern CaucasusUnited Republics of Northern Caucasus |
| Flag S18: | Flag of the Mountain Republic.svg |
| S19: | Regional Government of Northwest RussiaNorthwest Russia |
| Flag S19: | Flag of Russia.svg |
| Flag S20: | Flag of Latvia.svg |
| S20: | Latvia#Declaration of independence and interwar periodLatvia |
| Flag S21: | Flag of Lithuania.svg |
| S21: | Kingdom of Lithuania (1918)Lithuania |
| Flag S22: | Flag of Kuban People's Republic.svg |
| S22: | Kuban People's RepublicKuban |
| Flag: | Flag of Russia |
| Other Symbol Type: | Government Seal |
| Symbol: | Coat of arms of Russia |
| National Anthem: | Russian: Рабочая Марсельеза "Worker's Marseillaise"Russian: Гимн Свободной России "Anthem of Free Russia" (Unofficial) |
| Image Map Caption: | Under control shortly before the October Revolution |
| Capital: | Petrograd |
| Largest City: | capital |
| Common Languages: | Russian |
| Government Type: | Federal parliamentary directorial republic under a provisional government |
| Title Leader: | Minister-Chairman |
| Year Leader1: | September–November 1917 |
| Leader2: | none |
| Year Leader2: | 1917–1918 |
| Deputy1: | Viktor Chernov |
| Year Deputy1: | 18–19 January 1918 |
| Legislature: | Provisional Council (1917) none (1917–1918) (1918) |
| Event Pre: | Kornilov affair |
| Date Pre: | 10–13 September 1917 |
| Event Start: | Republic proclaimed |
| Date Start: | 14 September |
| Year Start: | 1917 |
| Year End: | 1918 |
| Event1: | October Revolution |
| Date Event1: | 7 November 1917 |
| Event2: | Assembly elected |
| Date Event2: | 25 November 1917 |
| Event3: | Constitution adopted |
| Date Event3: | 18 January 1918 |
| Event End: | dissolved |
| Date End: | 19 January |
| Currency: | Ruble |
| Demonym: | Russian |
The Russian Republic, referred to as the Russian Democratic Federal Republic in the 1918 Constitution, was a short-lived state which controlled, de jure, the territory of the former Russian Empire after its proclamation by the Russian Provisional Government on 1 September (14 September,) 1917 in a decree signed by Alexander Kerensky as Minister-Chairman and Alexander Zarudny as Minister of Justice.[1] The government of the Russian Republic was dissolved after the Bolsheviks seized power by force on 7 November 1917. Nonetheless, a partially democratic election of the Constituent Assembly still took place later in November. On 18 January 1918, this assembly issued a decree, proclaiming Russia a democratic federal republic, but had also been dissolved by the Bolsheviks on the next day after the proclamation.[2]
The Bolsheviks also used the name "Russian Republic" until the official name "Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic" was adopted in the Constitution of July 1918. The term is sometimes used erroneously for the period between the abdication of the Emperor Nicholas II on 3 March 1917 (16 March, N.S.) and the declaration of the Republic in September. However, during that period the status of the Russian political system was unresolved, left up to be decided by a future elected Constituent Assembly.[3]
Following the February Revolution, Emperor Nicholas II abdicated his throne and a Provisional Government was formed, under the leadership of Prince Georgy Lvov. The status of the monarchy was left unresolved.
Officially, the Republic's government was the Provisional Government, although de facto control of the country was contested between it, the soviets (chiefly the Petrograd Soviet), and various ethnic-based separatists (such as the Central Council of Ukraine). Soviets were political organizations of the proletariat, strongest in industrial regions, and were dominated by left-wing parties. Soviets, whose influence was supplemented with paramilitary forces, were occasionally able to rival the Provisional Government which had an ineffective state apparatus.
During his first weeks as prime minister, Lvov presided over a series of fleeting reforms which sought to radically liberalize Russia. Universal adult suffrage was introduced, freedoms of press and speech were granted, capital punishment abolished, and all legal restrictions of religion, class and race were removed.[4] Unable to rally sufficient support, he resigned in July 1917 in favor of his Minister of War, Alexander Kerensky.
The Government's control of the military was tenuous. Seamen of the Baltic Fleet, for example, had far-left views and openly engaged in political activism in the capital. Right-wing proclivities among the army officers were also a problem – Kerensky's attempt to dismiss Gen. Lavr Kornilov led to a failed coup.
Following the failure of Kornilov's coup, Kerensky proclaimed Russia to be a Republic on 1 September, establishing a Provisional Council as temporary parliament, in preparation to the elections of a Constituent Assembly. However, on 7 November 1917, the Bolsheviks seized power and dissolved both the Provisional Government and the Provisional Council.
Nonetheless, a partially democratic election of the Constituent Assembly still took place later in November. On 18 January 1918, this assembly issued a decree, proclaiming Russia a democratic federal republic under the name "Russian Democratic Federative Republic", However, the next day the Assembly was dissolved by the Bolsheviks.
The Republic de jure continued to exist until the Bolsheviks proclaimed the creation of the Russian Soviet Republic on 25 January 1918.[5] In response, anti-Bolshevik forces proclaimed the Russian State in September 1918, under the leadership of the Provisional All-Russian Government.
. Antony Beevor . Russia: Revolution and Civil War, 1917–1921 . 2022 . Penguin . 46 . 9780593493885 .