Was the Kornilov affair a failed military Putsch by a right-wing general?

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Kylie Willis  SN: 04439554                 HHB259: War & Revolution in Europe – Essay Assignment

Was the Kornilov affair a failed military Putsch by a right-wing general?

James Joll describes the Kornilov affair as “a failed attempt at a military Putsch by a right-wing general” (p.230) in his book Europe Since 1870.  This view reflects the official government version at the time. This essay intends to see how accurate a picture this version gave of the Kornilov affair. The Kornilov affair officially began on September 9, when Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Army, General L. C. Kornilov, brought a corps to Petrograd and disobeyed an order of dismissal by Alexander Kerensky, head of the Provisional Government. On September 10 a declaration that Kornilov was a traitor and attempting to overthrow the government led to a majority of the population united to support the Provisional Government and the Soviets. Thus Kornilov’s venture failed and on September 14 he surrendered and it was over. Before going into the events, a little background is needed.

The two main players in this affair are Kornilov and Kerensky whose relationship was taut over issues regarding how to maintain discipline in the army and the manner in which Kornilov made demands to Kerensky. Naturally the tension caused distrust between the two, Kerensky fearing a conspiracy against him, and Kornilov believing that Kerensky was weak and under the influence of the Soviet. Kornilov disliked the Soviet immensely as their reforms of disciplinary regulations giving soldiers’ ‘civic rights’ had spelt disaster to the army. Most of the information available on this affair has bias some portraying Kornilov as the villain and others Kerensky. The fact is the specifics of the events come from interested parties who all likely had something to hide. Regardless, of Kornilov’s actual position, he was certainly the ‘hero’ of the right-wing, due to his order reinstating the death penalty before approval of the Provisional Government was given. It appears Kornilov was quite patriotic, perhaps he believed it was his duty to save Russia from the Soviet and the Bolsheviks, but was he planning a coup d'état against the Provisional Government.

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Kornilov certainly had plans to send a corps to Petrograd, long before the actual ‘so-called’ Putsch occurred which gives some credence to the idea that Kornilov intended to overthrow the Provisional Government. Asher states,

“As early as August 19, Kornilov instructed his Chief of Staff, General Lukomsky, to concentrate the Third Corps in the areas of Nevel, Novye-Sokolniki, Velikie-Luki, within convenient striking distance by railroad of both Moscow and Petrograd. After some prodding by Lukomsky, Kornilov gave as his reason the anticipated Bolshevik insurrection of September 10-11 and intimated he was prepared to act to suppress it without the ...

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