All-Russia democratic conference
An appearance of General L. G. Kornilov with a speech caused another crisis of the Provisional Government. Representatives of the socialist parties characterized the events that took place on August 25—31 (September 7—13), as an attempt of a counter-revolutionary conspiracy and attributed the entire “bourgeoisie” to the number of its accomplices. These allegations were caused by an inclination to weld the “socialist front” together and counterpoise it to all non-socialist elements declared the “enemies of the revolution.” The Provisional Government found itself in an awkward situation. The Central Committee of the Socialist Revolutionary Party issued A. F. Kerensky with an ultimatum, either no single constitutional democrat is included in the new government coalition, or no one socialist revolutionary will enters it. During this period, the political quarters, insisting on the complete shift of power in favor of the Soviets of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies, have grown stronger. The Bolsheviks Party once again rapidly gaining popularity in the society over a background of their struggle against the Kornilov affair — counterrevolutionary movement, was among these forces. Temporarily, the power in the country shifted to the Directory or the Council of Five, established on September 1 (14) consisting of the Minister-Chairman socialist-revolutionary (SR) A. F. Kerensky, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the sugar factory owner M. I. Tereshchenko, the Secretary of War Major General A. I. Verkhovsky, Naval Minister Rear Admiral D. N. Verderevsky and the Telegraph- Postmaster General Menshevik A. M. Nikitin.
For the nation-wide solution to the question of power and acceptable solutions to solve the crisis, the All-Union Central Executive Committee and the Executive Committee of Peasants’ Soviets decided to gather a democratic conference in Petrograd. According to the organizers’ intention, apart from the grouped around the Soviets representatives of revolutionary democracy, various nationwide democratic organizations of Russia had to participate in it as well: cooperatives, county councils (zemstvos), army committees, city dumas, etc. Concerning the purpose of the meeting, initially there was no even understanding. Menshevik F. I. Dan saw it in the creation of a uniform democratic government. At the same time, his fellow-party mate I. G. Tsereteli believed that the meeting should elect a representative body, which the Provisional Government would be accountable to.
The meeting was opened at the Alexandrinsky Theater on September 14 (27), 1917. According to “Izvestia” newspaper, all together 1,582 delegates attended, including 230 — from the Soviets of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies, 230 — from the Soviets of Peasants’ Deputies, 100 — from the Trade Unions, 300 from municipal governments, 200 — from the zemstvos, 125 — from the army and navy, and 120 — from the general cooperation, and so on. Of the political parties, the largest number attended from the SRs — 532, 172 — from the Mensheviks, 136 — from the Bolsheviks, 55 representatives — from the Labor People’s Socialist Party, 23 — from the Ukrainian Socialist Revolutionaries, 15 — from Bundists, and 28 representatives — from the other national socialist parties. In addition, 400 participants have enrolled as a non-party ones.
There was a different attitude toward a democratic meeting among the socialist parties. The extreme right flank, in particular the right SRs, encouraged saving of the principle of coalition in the formation of the government. The Menshevik A. N. Potresov, expressing the common opinion of the extreme right-wing defenders, shared this position. He pointed out that a coalition with the bourgeoisie is not only possible but also vitally important, since to suppress the growth of Bolshevism will be possible only by the joint efforts. At the same time, the Petrograd Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies, where the position of the Bolsheviks dominated at that time, stated that only a complete break with the bourgeoisie and the creation of the authorities from plenipotentiary representatives of workers’, peasants’ and soldiers’ organizations can save the revolution.
Voting during the meeting on the new government cabinet was controversial and did not let its participants to arrive at consensus. Some of them voted for a coalition with the bourgeoisie, some for a coalition, but without the Cadets, part — for a plainly socialist coalition. In the end, of course, under the influence of the speeches of I. G. Tsereteli and A. F. Kerensky, a resolution allowing the creation a new coalition government with the participation of the Cadets was adopted. As a protest against this decision, the Bolsheviks left the meeting room.
The most important result of the meeting was the creation on September 20 (October 3) of a representative body, the so-called Provisional Council of the Russian Republic, which has remained in history as the Pre-parliament. It included representatives of all groups and factions attending the meeting. It was entrusted to form a new government.
The section presents the studies and memoirs reflecting the activities of the All-Russian Democratic Conference; the reports on the meetings from September 14 (27) to September 22 (October 5), 1917; the publications of periodicals; photographs of the meeting chairman N. D. Avksentiev and other participants.
- Chronicle of events
Revolution of 1917. 4. August - September
Avdeev. Nikolay Nikolaevich. Revolution of 1917. Moscow: State Publishing House, 1923; Petrograd.
T. 4: August - September. 1924. - Research works, recollections
October Revolution
October Revolution. Hotels Moscow; Leningrad: State Publishing House, 1926.Краснов П.Н. «На внутреннем фронте». Главы «Петроградские настроения»; «Работа в корпусе» (сканы 79-84);
Дан Ф.«К истории последних дней Временного правительства» (сканы 156-161)October Revolution
Alekseev, Sergei Alexandrovich (1878-). October Revolution. Moscow: The Young Guard, 1929; Leningrad.Часть 1 «Февральская революция-предтеча Октября». Глава «От февраля к Октябрю: Демократическое совещание; Предпарламент; третья коалиция» (сканы 54-56);
Часть 2 «Предпосылки Октябрьской революции». Глава «Мелкобуржуазная демократия накануне Октября» (сканы 105-113);
Часть 3 «Организация и ход Октябрьской революции». Глава «Партия приступает к организации восстания» (сканы 144-150)Blue Book
Gippius, Zinaida Nikolayevna (1869-1945). Blue Book. Belgrade: printing house Radenkovich, 1929.Записи, сделанные в период с 18 сентября (1 октября) по 21 сентября (4 октября) (сканы 197-202)
Essays on the Russian Troubles. T. 2. The struggle of General Kornilov
Denikin, Anton Ivanovich (1872-1947). Essays on the Russian Troubles. The struggle of General Kornilov.
Paris: J.Povolozky \u0026 C °, Editeurs, 1921-1926. Paris: J. Povolotsky and Co., 1921.Глава «Результаты победы Керенского: одиночество власти, постепенный захват ее советами, распад государственной жизни, внешняя политика правительства и советов» (сканы 134-137)
1917
Lidak, Otto Avgustovich. 1917 year. Moscow: Party Publishing House, 1932; Leningrad.Глава «Процесс полевения масс и демократическое совещание» (сканы 111-121)
Stages of the Great Russian Revolution
Stepnoy, Nikolai Alexandrovich (1878-1947). Stages of the Great Russian Revolution. Samara: The Steppe, 1918.Глава «Демократическое совещание (впечатления)» (сканы 69-90)
History of the Russian Revolution. T. 2. The October Revolution
Trotsky. Lev Davidovich. 1879-1940. History of the Russian Revolution. Berlin: Granit Publishers, 1933.
T. 2: The October Revolution. 1933.Глава «Последняя коалиция» (о кризисе власти после Корниловского выступления, о подготовке и о работе Совещания) (сканы 366-394)
- Correspondence
1917: private testimonies of the revolution in the letters of Lunacharsky and Martov
1917: private evidence of the revolution in the letters of Lunacharsky and Martov. Moscow: Publishing house of the Russian University of Peoples' Friendship, 2005.Письма А.В. Луначарского А.А. Луначарской в период 14 (27) сентября – 22 сентября (5 октября) (сканы 250, 252, 253, 255)
- Materials of the democratic conference
- Protocols, reports, stenographs of the meetings of the democratic conference
Report on the meeting of the All-Russian Democratic Conference
ALL-RUSSIA DEMOCRATIC MEETING.
Report on the meeting of the All-Russian Democratic Conference.Report on the meeting of the All-Russian Democratic Conference
ALL-RUSSIA DEMOCRATIC MEETING.
Report on the meeting of the All-Russian Democratic Conference.Report on the meeting of the All-Russian Democratic Conference
ALL-RUSSIA DEMOCRATIC MEETING.
Report on the meeting of the All-Russian Democratic Conference.Protocol of the meeting of the Presidium of the Democratic Conference
ALL-RUSSIA DEMOCRATIC MEETING.
Minutes of the meeting of the Presidium of the Democratic Conference.Report on the meeting of the All-Russian Democratic Conference
ALL-RUSSIA DEMOCRATIC MEETING.
Report on the meeting of the All-Russian Democratic Conference.Report on the meeting of the All-Russian Democratic Conference
ALL-RUSSIA DEMOCRATIC MEETING.
Report on the meeting of the All-Russian Democratic Conference.Report on the meeting of the All-Russian Democratic Conference
ALL-RUSSIA DEMOCRATIC MEETING.
Report on the meeting of the All-Russian Democratic Conference.Transcript of the meeting of the All-Russian Democratic Conference
ALL-RUSSIA DEMOCRATIC MEETING.
Transcript of the meeting of the All-Russian Democratic Conference.Report on the meeting of representatives of the factions with the presidium
ALL-RUSSIA DEMOCRATIC MEETING.
Report on the meeting of representatives of the factions with the presidium.Report on the meeting of the All-Russian Democratic Conference
ALL-RUSSIA DEMOCRATIC MEETING.
Report on the meeting of the All-Russian Democratic Conference.Report on the meeting of the All-Russian Democratic Conference
ALL-RUSSIA DEMOCRATIC MEETING.
Report on the meeting of the All-Russian Democratic Conference. - Composition of the democratic conference
Appeals of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee to democratic organizations with the invitation to participate in a democratic meeting. Statement of the organization and individuals to the Organizational Commission for the convening of the Democrat
ALL-RUSSIA DEMOCRATIC MEETING. Film Appeals of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee to Democratic Organizations Inviting to Participate in a Democratic Conference. Statement of the organization and individuals to the organizational commission for the convocation of the Democratic Conference.Certificates of members of the All-Russian Democratic Conference
ALL-RUSSIA DEMOCRATIC MEETING. Film Certificates of the Members of the All-Russian Democratic Conference. - Materials of meetings of the democratic conference
Draft penalties of the cooperative delegation at the Democratic Conference in Petrograd from the All-Russia Extraordinary Cooperative Congress
ALL-RUSSIA DEMOCRATIC MEETING.
Draft punishment for a cooperative delegation at the Democratic Conference in Petrograd from the All-Russia Extraordinary Cooperative Congress.The speech plan of an unknown author at the Democratic Conference and the statement of a group of delegates of the Soviets of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies to the Presidium of the All-Russian Democratic Conference
ALL-RUSSIA DEMOCRATIC MEETING.
The speech plan of an unknown author at the Democratic Conference and the statement of a group of delegates of the Soviets of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies to the Presidium of the All-Russian Democratic Conference.
- Publications in the press
Cuttings from the newspapers Rech, Novaya Zhizn, Volya Naroda, Russkaya Volya and other newspapers with notes and articles on Kerensky and the Provisional Government
Central Committee of Social and Political Education.
Cuttings from the newspapers Rech, Novaya Zhizn, Volya Naroda, Russkaya Volya and other newspapers with notes and articles about Kerensky and the Provisional Government.14 (27) сентября – 24 сентября (7 октября) (сканы 243, 252, 256, 257, 259, 261, 306, 316, 318, 324, 328, 354)
The year of the revolution (February 1917 - March 1918)
Zinoviev, Grigory Evseevich (party and statesman, 1883-1936). The year of the revolution (February 1917 - March 1918). Leningrad: State Publishing House, 1925.Глава «Вокруг демократического совещания» (статьи из периодического издания «Рабочий путь», 6 (19) сентября – 21 октября (3 ноября) 1917 г.) (сканы 326-372)
From February to October
Lenin, Vladimir Ilyich (1870-1924).From February to October.[Moscow]: Partizdat the CPSU (b) 1937.Глава «Большевики должны взять власть. Письма Центральному комитету, Петроградскому и Московскому комитетам Р.С.Д.Р.П.», написано 12-14 (25-27) сентября 1917 г. (сканы: 153-157);
Глава «Марксизм и восстание. Письмо Центральному комитету Р.С.Д.Р.П.», написано 13-14 (26-27) сентября 1917 г. (сканы 159-167)Compositions. Series 1. Historical preparation of October. T. 3. 1917
Trotsky. Lev Davidovich. 1879-1940. Compositions. Moscow: State Publishing House, 1924 - 1927; Leningrad.
T. 3: 1917. Moscow: The State Publishing House, [1924].Глава «Демократическое совещание» (материалы периодических изданий «Известия», «Новая жизнь», «Рабочий путь», 13 (26) сентября – 23 сентября (6 октября): речи, доклады, выступления Л. Д. Троцкого, фракции большевиков и других участников на Демократическом совещании) (сканы 375-400)
- Illustrations
ND Avksent'ev, Chairman of the All-Russian Peasant Congress, member of the Executive Committee of the Council of Peasants' Deputies
ND Avksentyev, Chairman of the All-Russian Peasant Congress, member of the Executive Committee of the Council of Peasants' Deputies. 1917.Председатель Демократического совещания
- Participants of democratic conference
Portrait of the War Minister of the Provisional Government and Supreme Commander-in-Chief AF Kerensky
Portrait of the War Minister of the Provisional Government and Supreme Commander-in-Chief AF Kerensky. Petrograd, 1917.Portrait of the Minister of the Provisional Government IG Tsereteli
Portrait of the Minister of the Provisional Government IG Tsereteli. Petrograd, 1917.Portrait of Minister VM Chernov
Portrait of Minister VM Chernov. Petrograd, 1917.
14 (27) сентября - 22 сентября (5 октября) (сканы 215-267)