The Kornilov affair : paving the way for Bolshevism

Abstract

By the summer of 1917, when the dissolution of the Russian defense in World War I reached its climax, General L. G. Kornilov was appointed as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army. Kornilov was a passionate fighting general with legendary valor, who not only tried to revitalize Russia’s combative forces, but also labored to contain a possible Bolshevik insurgence. Despite his flaws in diplomatic communication skills and the ultimative language he employed, he attracted much support and gradually became the center of liberal– conservative circles. Prime Minister Kerensky, however, despised Kornilov and his increasing reputation because he obsessively feared a right-wing coup. This conviction together with his reluctance to stand against the Soviet, had led the Premier to turn a blind eye on the Bolsheviks’ preparations for the imminent armed uprising. This study will cover the period from July 1917 to September 1917, when bilateral affairs between the two camps of dramatis personae gradually exacerbated, and will seek to analyze the circumstances under which Kornilov rose against the Provisional Government.