The provisional government, made up of the Duma and the Petrograd Soviet, was a body created to help control Russia at a moment of great turmoil. It had to set to work in Russia, 1917 after Czar Nicholas II was abdicated. The provisional government s inability to reconcile the demands of the Russian people and the need to establish a government amidst political chaos led to its ultimate failure as a body. Its neglect in answering to the people s terms, the coalition government s ineffectiveness in gaining support, and the appeal of the Bolsheviks all prove that the provisional government was a disaster.

The provisional government s neglect in answering Russia s revolutionary desires led to a great loss in progress. At this point in time, Russia was deeply divided. Many wanted to continue fighting World War I, while others demanded for an immediate peace. The severely oppressed peasants wanted land for themselves, and city workers, who had to deal with harsh labor and conditions, expected higher wages and more food. All were ready to defend their needs. The provisional government, unable to forget about the spoils of war Russia was promised to receive upon completion of the war on the Allied side, declared that war was to continue, while the Soviet supported reform. In the end there was a compromise that caused no real action to be taken. Policies all depended on the people; the provisional government could only watch as demonstrations and riots took place in the streets and the Bolshevik party gained power.

In an unsuccessful attempt to gain support for the provisional government, the coalition government was formed, ending the April Days. During the April Days, the people crowded the streets to warn the Soviet that they would no longer tolerate the foreign policy of the provisional government.