---
title: "Prince Lvov | European History 1890 To 1945"
description: "Prince Lvov was the first head of Russia’s Provisional Government in 1917, showing how liberal reformers tried, and failed, to steady the February Revolution."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/europe-1890-1945/key-terms/prince-lvov"
type: "key-term"
subject: "European History – 1890 to 1945"
unit: "Unit 5"
---

# Prince Lvov | European History 1890 To 1945

## Definition

Prince Lvov was the first head of Russia’s Provisional Government after the February Revolution in 1917. In European History from 1890 to 1945, he represents the brief liberal attempt to replace tsarist rule with reform before the state collapsed further.

## What It Is

Prince Lvov was a Russian liberal politician who became the first head of the Provisional Government after Tsar Nicholas II abdicated in March 1917. In this course, his name comes up as the man who stood at the center of the first post-tsarist government during the February Revolution.

Lvov was not a revolutionary socialist. He came from the Constitutional Democratic Party, which meant he backed constitutional government, civil liberties, and political reform rather than a total social break with the old order. That matters because the Provisional Government was born from a compromise: it was supposed to replace autocracy, but it still had to keep the state running in the middle of war and social unrest.

His government faced a nearly impossible job from the start. Russia was still fighting in World War I, food shortages were severe, transport was breaking down, and workers and soldiers were organizing into soviets and committees that demanded faster change. Lvov had to deal with a society that wanted land reform, peace, and more power for ordinary people, while his government moved much more cautiously.

That gap between expectations and action is the big reason Prince Lvov matters. Many Russians saw the Provisional Government as too weak and too tied to the war effort. If you are reading about the February Revolution, Lvov is the face of the short-lived liberal center that could not satisfy either the old elites or the radical groups pushing for immediate transformation.

Lvov resigned in July 1917, after only a few months in power. His fall shows that removing the tsar did not solve Russia’s problems, it opened a struggle over who would control the revolution next. In the bigger story of 1890 to 1945, he marks the unstable middle stage between imperial collapse and Bolshevik takeover.

## Why It Matters

Prince Lvov matters because he helps explain why the February Revolution did not produce a stable democracy. His leadership shows the limits of liberal reform in a country facing war, hunger, labor unrest, and competing centers of power.

He is also a useful example of how revolutions can split into phases. The tsar falls first, then a provisional government tries to govern, and only later do more radical forces gain the upper hand. That sequence is a big pattern in Russian history from 1917, and Lvov sits right at the start of it.

If you are tracing cause and effect, he links autocratic collapse to political instability. If you are comparing groups, he stands between the old imperial order and the Bolsheviks, showing why moderate solutions often failed when people wanted immediate peace and land reform. His short tenure is a reminder that having legal authority is not the same as having real control.

## Connections

### Provisional Government

Prince Lvov led the Provisional Government, so the term and the person are inseparable in this topic. When you see Lvov in a passage, the bigger question is usually whether the government could actually hold power after the tsar abdicated. His failure as leader is one way to show why the government lost authority so quickly.

### February Revolution

Lvov only matters because the February Revolution created the political opening for him. The revolution toppled Nicholas II and made a liberal-led government possible, but it also unleashed workers’ and soldiers’ demands that the new government could not easily satisfy. Lvov is a good marker for the revolution’s first outcome, not just its causes.

### Bolsheviks

Lvov’s government was pressured by the Bolsheviks, who argued that the Provisional Government was too weak and too committed to the war. In comparison questions, Lvov represents moderate reform, while the Bolsheviks represent radical change and soviet power. That contrast helps explain why the liberal phase of 1917 did not last.

### [soviet power](/europe-1890-1945/key-terms/soviet-power)

Soviets were part of the challenge Lvov faced because workers and soldiers increasingly looked to them for authority. The rise of soviet power made the Provisional Government look less legitimate, especially when it kept making slow decisions on war and land. This connection shows the dual power situation that defined much of 1917.

## On the AP Exam

A timeline ID, short-answer question, or source analysis may ask you to connect Prince Lvov to the collapse of tsarism and the weakness of the February Revolution’s first government. The move is usually to explain that he headed a liberal Provisional Government, not a socialist one, and that his cabinet struggled because it kept Russia in World War I while unrest spread.

If you get a document about Petrograd protests, soldiers’ committees, or demands for peace and land, Lvov is part of the context that shows why moderate reform failed. In an essay, you can use him as evidence that removing a monarch does not automatically create a stable new regime. The best use of the term is to link political leadership with the broader crisis of authority in 1917 Russia.

## Prince Lvov vs Alexander Kerensky

Lvov and Kerensky are both tied to the Provisional Government, so they are easy to mix up. Lvov was the first head of the government after the February Revolution, while Kerensky later replaced him and became the best-known leader of the regime. If a question asks about the first phase after Nicholas II’s abdication, it is Lvov. If it asks about the later summer crisis, it is usually Kerensky.

## Key Takeaways

- Prince Lvov was the first head of Russia’s Provisional Government after Nicholas II abdicated in 1917.
- He represented liberal reform, not socialist revolution, through his connection to the Constitutional Democratic Party.
- His government struggled because Russia was still in World War I and faced mounting pressure for peace, land, and bread.
- Lvov’s short time in office shows why the February Revolution did not settle Russia’s political crisis.
- He is a useful reference point for understanding the gap between removing the tsar and building a workable new government.

## FAQs

### What is Prince Lvov in European History 1890 to 1945?

Prince Lvov was the first leader of Russia’s Provisional Government after the February Revolution in 1917. He is used in this course to show the brief liberal attempt to govern Russia after the Romanovs fell. His leadership ended quickly because the government could not solve war, food, and political instability.

### Why was Prince Lvov important in the Russian Revolution?

Lvov was important because he stood at the head of the first government after the tsar’s abdication. That makes him a symbol of the short-lived liberal phase of the revolution. His failure also helps explain why more radical groups, especially the Bolsheviks, gained support later in 1917.

### Was Prince Lvov a Bolshevik or a liberal?

Prince Lvov was a liberal, not a Bolshevik. He was connected to the Constitutional Democratic Party and supported reforms, constitutional government, and civil liberties. That difference matters because the Provisional Government was trying to preserve order, while the Bolsheviks pushed for a much more radical break.

### How do you use Prince Lvov in an essay or short answer?

Use Lvov when you need evidence that the February Revolution created a temporary liberal government that could not meet popular demands. He works well in arguments about the failure of moderate reform, the impact of World War I, or the rise of soviet and Bolshevik influence. A strong sentence will connect him to instability, not just list him as a name.

## Related Study Guides

- [5.1 The February Revolution and the Fall of the Romanovs](/europe-1890-1945/unit-5/february-revolution-fall-romanovs/study-guide/qpVRFywCqtve2Ml0)

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