On March 8, 1917, the world changed forever when the largest contiguous empire in the world, ruled by a dynasty spanning 300 years, was overthrown by a coalition of Socialists and Liberals who envisioned a nation run by the people. Immediately after the Tsar and the imperial family were overthrown, cracks appeared in this unholy alliance due to the obvious irreconcilable differences between coalition members' worldviews. That led to the period of Russian history that Lenin called “The Dual Power”, or Dvoyevlastiye. This period was marked by the simultaneous operation of the Petrograd Soviet, which acted as the “First Among Equals” of the other workers' councils and led them until the formation of the “All-Russian Congress of Soviets”, and the Russian Provisional Government, which acted as the newly recognized government. Delegates, you will act as members of the ISPOLKOM, or Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet. While the Soviets do not have the diplomatic recognition of the Provisional Government, they have something even more important: the loyalty and trust of the people. This trust is expansive, but also tenuous; the people are still radical, so if they feel betrayed, another revolution may become imminent. Delegates will be tasked with dealing with all manner of threats, including external threats such as WW1, and internal threats such as political opposition. The Provisional Government will also be a body to contend with. Will you be able to take a nation in turmoil and make a World Power, or will you go the way of a colony and subordinate yourself to another nation?
Rahul Nimmagaddasai (He/Him) is a 2nd-year Finance Student with Minors in Computer Science and Chinese. This will be his 5th year in Model UN, since he started in his sophomore year of High School. This will be his first time directing a committee at GatorMUN, and he is very excited to give the delegates the same appreciation he has for GatorMUN. Outside of MUN, Rahul loves to read, listen to music, and play video games. He also spends his time tracking the markets and programming Python!
