Between the February Revolution and the October Revolution, Russia was governed by two concurrent governments: The official liberal-led Provisional Government, and the socialist-led Petrograd Soviet. Provisional Government The Provisional Government was a temporary institution whose role was to arrange general elections and hold things together until the Constituent Assembly could be summoned. It had universal support during the first weeks, but that support waned very fast as it failed to solve the many problems facing the country. Peace, Bread, Land The Provisional Government had little power and ability to solve the most urgent problems of peace, bread, and land, that Russia was facing in 1917. Russia was still completely tied to the war effort that swallowed an enormous part of its food supplies and resources. The internal market was paralyzed, and peasants had no interest in selling their grain. The government had very little authority over the military to demand the grain from peasants so there was not enough food to be distributed to the cities. The government also failed to declare the much-anticipated land reform, and peasants had begun taking land by force. Petrograd Soviet During the February Revolution, workers and soldiers began forming their own local councils, called, “Soviets”, all around the country. These had real popular support as well as actual power over the army, railway network and factories. The Petrograd Soviet came to be the most powerful, and acted as an alternative, competing government. To make matters even more difficult, it also began issuing its own decrees. Crisis The Provisional Government was politically very unstable. The first coalition was dominated by the Kadets, (constitutional monarchists) and led by Prince Georgy Lvov. From April onwards, socialist leaders took a larger role and power increasingly focused on Alexander Kerensky He was much ridiculed and named the “…persuader-in-chief.” In August 1917, General Lavr Kornilov, tried to overthrow the Provisional Government. It is believed that Kerensky first conspired with Kornilov against the Petrograd Soviet, but then lost his nerve and gave arms to the Soviets (dominated by Bolsheviks at that time) to protect his own power in Petrograd against Kornilov. The Soviets put a halt to Kornilov successfully, but the event cost Kerensky his political career, and doomed the Provisional Government. After declaring Russia a republic on 14 September 1917, Kerensky’s next cabinet was overthrown by the Bolsheviks less than two months later.