Prince Georgi Yevgenyevich Lvov, Russian, Soviet, And CIS History, Biographies

Related Category: Russian, Soviet, And CIS History, Biographies

Prince Georgi Yevgenyevich Lvov[gEOr´gE yivgA´nyuvich lyuvOf´] Pronunciation Key, 1861–1925, Russian public official, head of the provisional government (Mar.–July, 1917). He played a prominent part in the development of the zemstvo system of local self-government and was chairman of the all–Russian union of zemstvos in World War I. A deputy of the Constitutional Democratic party in the duma, he became head of the provisional government after the February Revolution of 1917 (see Russian Revolution). Lvov's idealism and fear of violence made him particularly unfit for coping with the turbulent situation. While he sought to organize a constitutional and democratic government, the Social Democrats and Social Revolutionaries gained the actual power by organizing and dominating the workers' and peasants' councils (soviets). Agitation for peace with the Central Powers forced (May, 1917) the resignation of the foreign minister, Milyukov, and of the war minister, Guchkov, and Lvov formed a second government. After a popular uprising in Petrograd was suppressed (July, 1917), he resigned and a moderate Socialist government under Kerensky was organized. Lvov subsequently emigrated to Paris, where he died.

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