Liberal Diagnosis of February Revolution 1917

Abstract

The article is devoted to the evolution of liberal points of view on the political process in February — October 1917. The liberal positions changed so fast and dramatically that it is possible to stress the fact of the transformation of their programmes and tactics within the few months. The significance of the main categories of the political life (for example, “democracy”, “revolution”, “government”, “socialism” etc.) changed in their texts, too. Mainly the periodical press was used as a historical source. Because of these texts the authors made a conclusion that at the time of the revolution liberals did not make an agenda but reacted on the conjunctures that actually did not depend on them. It was a cause of the gradually loss of their influence on the political process in Russia. Trying to adjust their views to the revolution conditions liberal parties and liberal politicians certainly kept unconventionally thinking, analytical interpreting the actual problems but in fact they lost the political subjectivity.