Alexander+Kerensky

Witness: Alexander Kerensky (Rebecca Silverman) 1. Where were you born and when? I was born on May 4, 1881 in Ulyanovsk, Russia.

2. Describe your upbringing? My father was a teacher who taught Lenin and my mother was born to a nobleman. I graduated with honors and went to St. Petersburg University. I studied history and philology. I was comfortable living in middle class.

3. How many siblings? Provide details. I had two sisters, Anna and Yelena, and one brother, Fedya.

4. Details about your parents including occupation. Father (Fyodor Kerensky) was a teacher who eventually became the head inspector at a public school. He taught Lenin, one of his star pupils. My mother (Nadezhda nee Adler) was born to a nobleman who was head of the Topographical Bureau of the Kazan Military District.

5. Details about their education. My father was very smart, as he was a teacher.

6. Occupation I was a lawyer, an editor at a radical newspaper, State of the Duma, and the Prime Minister all at different times.

7. Personality traits I was all for reform.I was inexperienced to be a Prime Minister at the time, but was a great persuader and orator.

8. Tragic events through out their life – prior to 1917 I was sent to prison in 1905.

9. Criminal record. Prison in 1905 in fear of being involved in a militant group.

10.Have you ever been exiled? For what reason? No, but I left after communists take over.

11.Where were you during “Bloody Sunday” 1905? I was not there, but assisted them after it. I helped the wounded and comforted them.

12.Where were you during the Feb/Mar Revolution 1917? Where you involved? Explain. I became the prime minister of Russia and had troops to support me.

13.Where you they during the Oct/Nov Revolution 1917? Were you involved? Explain. Communists (Bolsheviks) take over, overthrowing mes and the Provisional Government

14.What was your opinion about Russian involvement in WWI? I kept the war going when I was in office, which was a bad mistake.

15.Describe what kind of contact, if any, you had with the Tsar. I had none.

16.What was your opinion of the Tsar. I did not support him. I knew what the Tsar was doing wrong because I was recently a student and students were seen as a radical body because they knew we needed reform.

17.Were you willing to change the wrong doings of Russia for the betterment of the people? Yes, I was.

18.Did you have a good education? Yes

19.Isn’t it true that you helped the people who were wounded in Bloody Sunday? Yes, I did help them.

20.Did you see that Rasputin was bad for the Russian Empire? Yes I did.

Prosecution: I didn’t know the tsar or his personality, but I didn’t like what he was doing. I saw his wrong doings, like most of Russia. I was for the reform of Russia and wanted better things for the people.

You wanted a reform against Tsar correct? You were against tsar, is this right? How do you think Tsar is as a person? What did Tsar do wrong? What Duma were you apart of? There were four? Why did he have four? Do you disagree with how Tsar treated the Duma?

Yes I did Yes I was I didn't know him as a person, but that wasn't what I was worried about. He was making wrong decisions left and right. The Tsar was being persuaded too much by the Tsarina, who by connection, was actually Rasputin. He was doing things to please his wife, not his people I was originally the State of the Duma in the fourth Duma, but when the Tsar was overthrown and the duma became the Provisional Government, I became Prime Minister Yes there were He had four because he wanted to please his wife by hiring people Rasputin thought were good Yes, he was blind to the fact that these people had no political interest and wanted to just be apart of the Duma.

[|Alexander Kerensky], Russia and History's Turning Point (1965)
On January 19, Goremykin was replaced by Sturmer, an extreme reactionary who hated the very idea of any form of popular representation or local self-government. Even more important, he was undoubtedly a believer in the need for an immediate cessation of the war with Germany. During his first few months in office, Sturmer was also Minister of Interior, but the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs was still held by Sazonov, who firmly advocated honouring the alliance with Britain and France and carrying on the war to the bitter end, and who recognized the Cabinet's obligation to pursue a policy in tune with the sentiments of the majority in the Duma. On August 9, however, Sazonov was suddenly dismissed. His portfolio was taken over by Sturmer, and on September 16, Protopopov was appointed acting Minister of the Interior. The official government of the Russian Empire was now entirely in the hands of the Tsarina and her advisers.

[|Alexander Kerensky], speech in the [|Duma] (13th February, 1917)
There are people who assert that the Ministers are at fault. Not so. The country now realizes that the Ministers are but fleeting shadows. The country can clearly see who sends them here. To prevent a catastrophe the Tsar himself must be removed, by force if there is no other way.

(Grace Haemmerle)