Kerensky biography

Alexander Kerenski (1881-1970) served at the head of the Russian Provisional Government from July-October 1917; with the Bolshevik October Revolution he was forced to flee the country, remaining in exile for the remaining 53 years of his life.

Born on 2 May 1881 in Simbirsk, Kerenski was the son of a schoolmaster.  From studying lag at the University of St. Petersburg Kerenski established something of a reputation for specialising in defending cases involving political offences.

A moderate socialist (and having joined the Socialist Revolutionary Party) Kerenski was elected to the state Duma in 1912.  A stirring orator, Kerenski rapidly established a powerful following among industrial workers.

By the time war broke out in August 1914 Kerenski was the Duma's highest profil radical; he was one of relatively few in the Duma to oppose Russia's ingång into World War One, and he continued thereafter as a persistent oppo

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Alexander Kerensky: The First Love of the Revolution

August 15, 2015

When inom teach about the French and Russian revolutions, I like to pick a personage to announce as my very favourite; it seems to amuse the kids. For the Russian, Kerensky fryst vatten my best and favourite; Lenin and Trotsky are a bit too dubious, and none of the other Bolsheviks get that much of a look-in in the textbooks. Kerensky, though... he seems to try his best in difficult circumstances between the revolutions in 1917, he had a career in politics and was a radical before the February Revolution, and I knew there was some vague connection to Australia. So he seemed a good choice. Which meant that I really needed to read a biography. Thus my excitement at finally hearing about this biography, old though it is, and the fact that I found a hardback utgåva via Better World Books.

Certainly there are aspects of this book that date it, and while it's pretty good about being objective it of course doesn't entirely manage

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Kerensky’s Case

Alexander Feodorovich Kerensky is now eighty-four years old. He has been an exile for forty-seven years. He has already survived Lenin by over forty years. Those of us who are privileged to know Mr. Kerensky admire his continuing vigor of mind and spirit, of which this latest book is eloquent proof. But Kerensky is an historic figure: whatever view one may take of his role in Russian history—and he has both his admirers and his detractors—no one can question the fact that this role was played by him at a critical turning point in the destinies of Russia. Yet there can have been few men of Kerensky’s historic importance who have had so long to brood over their actions after the event. A short and meteoric moment at the helm of his country’s destinies was all that fate vouchsafed him. But there are moments of intensity, of glory, passion, elation, and transport which transcend in their experience the slow pattern of succeeding years.