It was only with the arrival of Lenin (from Switzerland) and Trotsky (from America) on the scene that the revolutionary movement assumed new direction. They denounced the provisional government as subservient to bourgeois of England and France and laid emphasis on true revolution. A demand was made for ending the war “without annexation and without indemnities”.
These leaders pleaded for the transfer of all powers to the Soviets and pleaded for abolition of army, the police and the bureaucracy. It favoured confiscation of all estates and nationalization of all land. It also pleaded for the merger of all banks into a single national bank under the Soviet control.
On the other hand, the Provisional Government headed by Kerensky continued to work for the introduction of parliamentary institutions of the western pattern in Russia. The Provisional Government and the Soviets were sharply divided on two main issues-viz., democratization of the army and the foreign policy. The Provisional Government was opposed to democratization of army, while the Soviets favoured democratization of army.
On 1 March 1917, the Soviet issued an order which provided for establishment of elective committees in every army unit, the sending of delegates to the Soviet by each unit; the control of all political activities in the army by the Soviets and army committees; the abolition of compulsory salute and simplified formulas for addressing the officers etc.
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On the question of foreign policy also sharp differences existed between the Provisional Government and the Soviets. While the Provisional Government considered the revolution as a protest against the ineffective conduct of war by the imperial regime and insisted on pursuing the war to victorious end, the Soviets stood for immediate ending of war and demanded peace “without annexations and indemnities”. It favoured revision of war aims and exerted necessary pressure through mass demonstrations to bring the imperial foreign policy to an end.
In view of sharp differences between the Provisional Government and the Soviets, much could not be accomplished. However, it goes to the credit of the Provisional Government that it succeeded in putting an end to autocratic rule of the Czars.
It declared Russia as a Republic and courageously tackled the nationality problem. It also put the Poles and the Finns on road to independence. It encouraged co-operatives in place of private enterprises. It also passed a number of laws concerning civil rights, prison reforms, equal rights for women, universal suffrage and religious freedom. However, it record in the field of land reforms was not quite encouraging. It also failed to exercise proper control over the armies.