Alexander Guchkov Alexander Ivanovich Guchkov ( ) ( 14 October 1862 – 14 February 1936 ) was a Russia n politician , Chairman of the Duma and Minister of War in the Russian Provisional Government . Early years . Alexander Guchkov was born in Moscow . Unlike most of the conservative politicians of that time , Guchkov did not belong to the Russian nobility . His father , the grandson of a peasant , was a factory owner of some means , whose family came from a stock of Old Believers who had acknowledged the authority of the Russian Orthodox Church while keeping their ancient ritual . His mother was French . Guchkov studied history and humanities at the university of Moscow , and , after having gone through his military training in a grenadier regiment , left for Germany where he read political economy in Berlin under Schmoller . Academic studies were , however , not suited to his active and adventurous character . He gave them up and started traveling . He rode alone on horseback through Mongolia to western Siberia , and narrowly escaped being slaughtered by a mob . He eventually became a rich capitalist , head of a huge insurance company . He became known for his hazardous acts , which also included volunteering for the Boer army in the Second Boer War under General Smuts , where he was wounded and taken prisoner . He also fought numerous duels . He was elected by the Moscow municipal Duma to be a member of the executive ( " Uprava " ) , and took active part in the self - government of the city . During the Russo - Japanese War , he served in the Red Cross and in the Municipal Union for the organization of hospitals , and he was left to take care of the Russian wounded after the Battle of Mukden . When the Russian Revolution of 1905 developed , he took part in the meetings of Zemstvo representatives , but did not join the Cadets , whom he considered to be too doctrinaire and cosmopolitan . In October 1906 , Guchkov became the head of the Union of 17 October . He had the hope that the Tsar ' s government would recognize the necessity of great reforms and work with the moderate liberals of the Zemstvos , while safeguarding the monarchical principle . Pyotr Stolypin was for some time in sympathy with that agenda , and even contemplated the formation of a ministry strengthened by leaders of public opinion , of whom Guchkov , Count Heyden and N . Lvov would have been prominent members . When this project came to grief , Guchkov continued to support Stolypin . In the third Duma , elected on a restricted franchise , the Octobrists assumed the leading role . After Khomiakov ' s resignation in 1910 , Guchkov was elected speaker . He attacked the “ irresponsible influences ” at the Russian court and the shortcomings of the Ministry of War in preparing for the inevitable conflict with Germany . As Stolypin became more and more violent and reactionary , the Octobrists lost their standing ground , and Guchkov eventually resigned the presidency of the Duma . Party crisis and World War I . In 1912 the Octobrists were defeated in elections to the fourth Duma , losing over 30 seats . Guchkov in particular was defeated in his constituency in Moscow . The remaining Octobrists in Duma split into two fractions . By 1915 many local party branches and the main party newspaper " Voice of Moscow " ceased to exist . With the outbreak of World War I , Guchkov was put in charge of the Red Cross organization on the German front , and it fell to him to search for the corpse of the unfortunate Samsonov . Guchkov became the head of Military - Industrial Committee , an organization created by industrial magnates in order to supply the army . In 1915 Guchkov was among the founders of Progressive Bloc , which demanded for establishing ministerial responsibility before the Duma . Nicholas II constantly refused to satisfy this demand . Later Guchkov reported that members of the Progressive Bloc would consider coup d ' etat , but did not undertake any action . When the February Revolution of 1917 broke out , Guchkov was called in to take charge of the Ministry of War . Shortly after the Petrograd riots in February 1917 , Guchkov , along with Vasily Shulgin , came to the army headquarters near Pskov to persuade the Tsar to abdicate . On 2 March 1917 Nicholas II abdicated . After revolution . After the February Revolution the Union of 17 October legally ceased to exist . Guchkov held the office of War Minister in the Russian Provisional Government until 29 April . He was forced to resign after public unrest , caused by Milyukov ' s Note . Along with his fellow Octobrist Mikhail Rodzianko he continued to struggle for establishing of " strong government " . He supported Lavr Kornilov and was arrested after the Kornilov Affair , but released the next day . After the October Revolution Guchkov provided financial support for the White Guard . When eventual defeat of White Guard became inevitable , he emigrated first going to Germany . He died in 1936 in Paris . Modern perception . Guchkov has become something of a cult figure in recent years : his reputation in Russia has grown after a documentary on the main state channel , which included an interview with then - President Vladimir Putin . In the documentary , Putin revealed that Guchkov had been one of his childhood heroes for the way in which he tried to bring democracy to the country .