The+Kornilov+Revolt

**__ The Kornilov Affair __**
The Kornilov Affair of August 1917, was a miscommunication or misunderstanding between a right wing army officer called Lavr Kornilov and the Russian Provisional Government, headed by Alexander Kerensky. Kornilov thought he had received instructions from Kerensky to restructure the government and Kornilov ordered to a corporal to impose martial law in Petrograd. As troops from the Red Army marched on Petrograd, Kerensky desperately sought for help. He eventually appealed to the Bolsheviks, who just months earlier had tried to take over the government, to help suppress the onslaught. Kerensky was successful, and the "coup" was disemboweled. Though at the time it may have looked like a victory for Kerensky, it was actually his downfall.

** Consequences **
The Kornilov affair weakened Kerensky and the Provisional Government. It showed Lenin just how weak the Provisional Government truly was. The incident had two important effects that hastened the downfall of the provisional government. First, it destroyed what little was left of Kerensky’s credibility in the eyes of the military and made him look foolish and unstable to the rest of the country. Secondly, it strengthened the Bolsheviks, who used the incident very effectively to boost their own platform. Their status increased enormously, with many non-Bolsheviks beginning to support them. It also reduced the influence of the army which was one of the last major opposition towards Lenin. The officers had lost all authority, soldiers refused to obey orders and left the front, homeward bound.The Provisional Government also had to release the Bolsheviks that they had imprisoned after the failed attempted seizure of power (the July Days), and they then had to rip up the arrest warrant for Lenin. media type="youtube" key="FPzw46M1dGA" height="315" width="420" align="right"

Short video describing the Kornilov affair.
 * Sources:**

Notes taken in class. [] [] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kornilov_affair