White Armies of the Russian Civil War

[King]

Originally posted by webbrave
Kornilov was certainly seen as a new Napoleon and therefore, as a threat by some and a saviour by others. I thought that it was generally accepted that hehad been planning a coup.

Kornilov woudl no doubt wanted to be a Napoleon and certainally considered coup, but he was not actually planning a coup when Kerensky moved against him. V.N. Lvov (an Octobrist deputy of the Duma) mislead Kerensky about Kornilov. Lvov offered to go and meet Kornilov on behalf of Kerensky and then came back and told Kerensky then came back and told him that Kornilov was demanding dictatorical powers. Kerensky then contacts Kornilov via a Hughes apparatus and cripitically askes him if what Lvov said was ture (without telling Kornilov what it was). Kornilov says yes it is true and the rest is history.

 

[King]

Originally posted by webbrave


well, I still don't think it is a landmark year at all. As a matter of fact, early 1890s was a bit of a "break" after the total terror of 1870s-1880s and what was coming up in the first years of the 20th century

1891 was a landmark year becuase of the Famine. It was not the famine itslef but the fact of the Tsarist state could not handle the crisis. They had to turn to others to help them, particularly the Zemstovs. This politicised a large number of people for the first time. This was a fatal year for the Autocratic Russian state becuase after that refrom became inevatable, the story up untill 1917 is that of the Tsar taking every opertunity to throw away the chance to save his dynasty.