The Year 1917

On 3 May, at Petrograd, there were hostile demonstrations by soldiers and workers against Milyukov and the Provisional Government.

On 4 May, at Petrograd, the Provisional Government secured a narrow vote of confidence and was reformed as the First Coalition Government, composed of liberals, Mensheviks and SR's. Within days the leading industrialists formed the Society for the Economic Rehabilitation of Russia, with links to General Kornilov and Admiral Kolchak. Fighting broke out in the city between Bolsheviks and government troops.

On 5 May, at Petrograd, the Russian Finance Minister notified the Government that if the war continued and the Allies granted no new credits, bankruptcy was unavoidable.

On the Southwest Front, at Czernowitz, General Kornilov became commander of the Southwest Front, and began reorganizing his reserves. The Provisional Government ordered Kornilov's troops to only accept his orders. The Southwest Front organized an armored striking force which included armored train General Annenkov, two armored cars and an armored trolley.

In North Persia, Russian detachments withdrew around Oghnut and Mush.

On 6 May, Stavka ordered General Kaledin transferred from command of the 8th Army to lead the 5th Army.

At Kiev, opening of a eight day Czech Congress, which elected Tomasz Masaryk as supreme commander and political leader. Masaryk's main Czech offices were in Paris.

On 7 May, at Stavka, General Alekseev received a disturbing report from Brusilov on the Southwest Front, stating that the situation had radically changed. There were extreme shortages on all levels, inadequate reinforcements, desertions and a worsening of food transport.

At Petrograd, the All-Russian Conference of the Bolsheviks declared for peace without annexations or indemnities, and supported fraternization at the front, recognizing the revolutionary potential of peasant soldiers yearning to go home. The Conference lasted until the 12th. The Soviets had completely paralyzed the activity of the Provisional Government. There was confusion, disorder and anarchy in most major Russian cities.

In the Baltic Sea, German submarine UC.78 laid eighteen mines south of Mariehamm in the Aland Islands.

On 8 May, in Petrograd, the Soviet issued an invitation for all neutral socialists to confer in Petrograd before going to to the Stockholm conference.