What was the 'dual power' arrangement that emerged in Russia in 1917?

• A. A Provisional Government shared authority with soviets (notably the Petrograd Soviet) competing for power.
• B. A Provisional Government shared authority with the Duma.
• C. The Tsarist autocracy and the Army.
• D. An alliance between the Provisional Government and the Bolsheviks.

Answer: (A)

Power was split between two centers of authority. After the February Revolution, a Provisional Government took the formal lead, running ministries and state affairs, while parallel, mass-based councils—especially the Petrograd Soviet—claimed real political influence through elected delegates of workers and soldiers. These soviets could direct action, issue orders within their networks, and often contradicted the Provisional Government’s plans. The result was a tense, unstable “dual power” where the government and the soviets competed for legitimacy and control, a dynamic the Bolsheviks were able to exploit to push for a radical shift and, eventually, take power. The other options don’t fit this pattern: the Duma wasn’t the counterpart in this struggle, the Tsarist autocracy and the Army had collapsed, and the Provisional Government did not form a formal alliance with the Bolsheviks.