Following the
revolution of February 1917, the
Russian monarchy fell from power, replaced by a
Provisional Government whose members came from various liberal and left-wing political parties, some previously represented in the
Duma, and others in the
Petrograd Soviet. The Government passed legislation that led even
Lenin, one of its harshest critics, to declare Russia "the freest of all the belligerent countries".
[1] However, the initial wave of support for the Provisional Government amongst the Russian people soon subsided and unrest grew, a result mainly of Russia's continued participation in the
First World War and of the economic ramifications which the fighting had for Russian society. The demonstrations during the "
July Days" sparked calls for a need for more discipline and for a stronger government - a resurgence occurred in right-wing feeling amongst sections of Russian society. Officers of the Russian Army, Kornilov amongst them, led these calls.[
citation needed] The officers feared that ill-discipline amongst their troops accounted for the continued poor performance of the Russian army during the First World War. They demanded the reintroduction of the death penalty at the front line as well as the abolition of the various soldiers committees that had sprung up in the months following February. Unease also escalated amongst Russia's
businessmen and industrialists, whilst even amongst the politicians who formed the Provisional Government support for the restoration of order was strong.