Provisional Government of Autonomous Siberia
Encyclopedia
The Provisional Government of Autonomous Siberia (PGAS), was an ephemeral government for Siberia
created by the White movement
.
After the Bolsheviks' seizure of power in Petrograd, All-Siberian Extraordinary Congress of Delegates from Public Organizations, was convened in Tomsk
on December 7, 1917. The SR
-dominated assembly refused to recognize Soviet authority or its decrees, and during its last session on December 15 called for the convocation of an “all-socialist” Siberian Regional Duma and appointed a Provisional Siberian Council, answerable to the Duma, that would “act as a government.” The opening of the Duma was set for January 8, 1918.
As it happened, the Duma could not open on the date the congress had set for it for lack of a quorum requiring that a minimum of one-third of the delegates, or ninety-three, be present. Many of the delegates had already been arrested by local Bolshevik authorities; others had not been able to reach Tomsk.
When three weeks later, on the night of January 28–29, some forty delegates finally succeeded in meeting, they expeditiously elected a government known as the Provisional Government of Autonomous Siberia (PGAS), under the chairmanship of a young Socialist-Revolutionary
P. Derber.
Of the PGAS's twenty ministers, only six had been present at the founding meeting of January 28–29.
Two had been in Bolshevik prison, and the rest were scattered throughout Siberia and north China and were chosen in
absentia, without their prior consent. Some of them, including Derber, quickly fled to the Far East; others went into hiding.
After the overthrow of the Bolsheviks in Siberia by Czechoslovak Legions
and Russian officers organizations, the decision to form the Provisional Siberian Government (PSG) was made on June 29, 1918, in Omsk
, at a meeting
featuring several members of the PGAS who were still in Western Siberia, including Petr Vologodskii, who was
appointed chairman of the Council of Ministers in the new government.
The PSG participated with the Komuch in the State Conference held in Ufa
between 8 - 23 September. Some of the 170 delegates also represented other smaller regions. The Komuch suffered two significant defeats while the conference was in progress, losing Kazan on 10 September and Simbirsk two days later. The conference established the short-lived Provisional All-Russian Government
(PA-RG).
It effectively ended with the execution of the White leader Aleksandr Kolchak
on February 7, 1920.
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
created by the White movement
White movement
The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
.
After the Bolsheviks' seizure of power in Petrograd, All-Siberian Extraordinary Congress of Delegates from Public Organizations, was convened in Tomsk
Tomsk
Tomsk is a city and the administrative center of Tomsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Tom River. One of the oldest towns in Siberia, Tomsk celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2004...
on December 7, 1917. The SR
Socialist-Revolutionary Party
thumb|right|200px|Socialist-Revolutionary election poster, 1917. The caption in red reads "партия соц-рев" , short for Party of the Socialist Revolutionaries...
-dominated assembly refused to recognize Soviet authority or its decrees, and during its last session on December 15 called for the convocation of an “all-socialist” Siberian Regional Duma and appointed a Provisional Siberian Council, answerable to the Duma, that would “act as a government.” The opening of the Duma was set for January 8, 1918.
As it happened, the Duma could not open on the date the congress had set for it for lack of a quorum requiring that a minimum of one-third of the delegates, or ninety-three, be present. Many of the delegates had already been arrested by local Bolshevik authorities; others had not been able to reach Tomsk.
When three weeks later, on the night of January 28–29, some forty delegates finally succeeded in meeting, they expeditiously elected a government known as the Provisional Government of Autonomous Siberia (PGAS), under the chairmanship of a young Socialist-Revolutionary
Socialist-Revolutionary Party
thumb|right|200px|Socialist-Revolutionary election poster, 1917. The caption in red reads "партия соц-рев" , short for Party of the Socialist Revolutionaries...
P. Derber.
Of the PGAS's twenty ministers, only six had been present at the founding meeting of January 28–29.
Two had been in Bolshevik prison, and the rest were scattered throughout Siberia and north China and were chosen in
absentia, without their prior consent. Some of them, including Derber, quickly fled to the Far East; others went into hiding.
After the overthrow of the Bolsheviks in Siberia by Czechoslovak Legions
Czechoslovak Legions
The Czechoslovak Legions were volunteer armed forces composed predominantly of Czechs and Slovaks fighting together with the Entente powers during World War I...
and Russian officers organizations, the decision to form the Provisional Siberian Government (PSG) was made on June 29, 1918, in Omsk
Omsk
-History:The wooden fort of Omsk was erected in 1716 to protect the expanding Russian frontier along the Ishim and the Irtysh rivers against the Kyrgyz nomads of the Steppes...
, at a meeting
featuring several members of the PGAS who were still in Western Siberia, including Petr Vologodskii, who was
appointed chairman of the Council of Ministers in the new government.
The PSG participated with the Komuch in the State Conference held in Ufa
Ufa
-Demographics:Nationally, dominated by Russian , Bashkirs and Tatars . In addition, numerous are Ukrainians , Chuvash , Mari , Belarusians , Mordovians , Armenian , Germans , Jews , Azeris .-Government and administration:Local...
between 8 - 23 September. Some of the 170 delegates also represented other smaller regions. The Komuch suffered two significant defeats while the conference was in progress, losing Kazan on 10 September and Simbirsk two days later. The conference established the short-lived Provisional All-Russian Government
Provisional All-Russian Government
The Provisional All-Russian Government or PA-RG was a short-lived government centred in Omsk during the Russian Civil War.It was principally formed from the Komuch, mainly Socialist-Revolutionary Party and Constitutional Democratic Party members based in Samara, and the Provisional Siberian...
(PA-RG).
It effectively ended with the execution of the White leader Aleksandr Kolchak
Aleksandr Kolchak
Aleksandr Vasiliyevich Kolchak was a Russian naval commander, polar explorer and later - Supreme ruler . Supreme ruler of Russia , was recognized in this position by all the heads of the White movement, "De jure" - Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, "De facto" - Entente States...
on February 7, 1920.