Editing Constitutional Democratic Party (section)

== 1917 Revolution ==
[[File:Svoboda i Kultura logo, 1917.svg|thumb|240px|Logo of ''Svoboda i Kultura [Let There Be Light! "Freedom and Culture" 1917]'', a Kadet magazine put out by [[Semyon Frank]] in 1917]]
During the [[February Revolution]] of 1917, Kadet deputies in the Duma and other prominent Kadets formed the core of the newly formed [[Russian Provisional Government]] with five portfolios. Although exercising limited power in a situation known as [[Dual power (Russian Revolution)|dual power]], the Provisional Government immediately attempted to deal with issues of the many nationalities in the Russian Empire. They introduced legislation abolishing all limitations based on religion and nationality and introduced an element of [[self-determination]] by transferring power from governors-general to local representatives. They issued a decree recognising [[Poland|Polish]] autonomy, more as a symbolic gesture in light of the German occupation of this territory. However, this tendency was limited as most of the ministers feared a break up of the empire. One of the Kadet leaders, [[Georgy Lvov|Prince Lvov]], became Prime Minister and Miliukov became Russia's Foreign Minister. A radical party just 11 years earlier, after the February Revolution the Kadets occupied the rightmost end of the political spectrum since all monarchist parties had been dissolved and the Kadets were the only openly functioning non-socialist party remaining.

The Kadets' position in the Provisional Government was compromised when Miliukov's promise to the [[Triple Entente|Entente]] allies to continue the war (18 April) was made public on 26 April. The resulting government crisis led to Miliukov's resignation and a power-sharing agreement with moderate socialist parties on 4–5 May. The Kadets' position was further eroded during the July crisis when they resigned from the government in protest against concessions to the Ukrainian independence movement. The coalition was reformed later in July under [[Alexander Kerensky]] and survived yet another government crisis in early September. [[Sergei Fedorovich Oldenburg]] was Minister of Education and served briefly as chair of the short-lived Commission on Nationality Affairs. The Kadets had become a liability for their socialist coalition partners and an evidence of the treason of the moderated socialists, exposed by [[Bolshevik]] propaganda.  By the summer of 1917, many prominent Kadets were supporters of [[Lavr Kornilov]] during the [[Kornilov affair]].<ref>[[Stephen Kotkin]], ''Stalin'' (Vol. 1: ''Paradoxes of Power'', 1878-1928''), Penguin Books, 2014, p. 187.</ref>

With the Bolshevik seizure of power on 25–26 October and subsequent transfer of political power to the [[Soviet (council)|Soviet]]s, Kadet and other anti-Bolshevik newspapers were closed down and the party was suppressed by the new regime because of its support for Kornilov and [[Kaledin]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/nov/28.htm | title=Decree on the Arrest of the Leaders of the Civil War Against the Revolution }}</ref>