Aleksander Kerensky was born in Simbirsk into a noble family of the principal of Simbirsk male gymnasium. He graduated from the Law Faculty of St. Petersburg University (1904). Since 1909, he was an attorney at law of the Petersburg Court of Justice, a lawyer engaged in several political trials. As MP of the 4th State Duma (1912–1917), Kerensky headed the Trudovik faction (Labourist Group).

He was an active participant of the February Revolution in Petrograd. On February 27, 1917, he became a member of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma. He held the post of Minister of Justice in the first cabinet of the Provisional Government (March–May 1917), and of Chairman of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies. In March 1917, Kerensky joined the Socialist Revolutionary Party (SRP). Since May 5, 1917, he was Minister of War and Navy. In June 1917, the 1st All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies elected Kerensky a member of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK). From July 7 to October 26, 1917, he was Minister-Chairman of the Provisional Government, retaining the post of Minister of War and Navy (until September 1).

In July, Kerensky appointed General Lavr Kornilov as Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Late August saw Kornilov try to organize a coup to disperse the Soviets and introduce a military dictatorship (Kornilov affair). Based on the agreements with Aleksander Kerensky and with the latter’s knowledge Kornilov sent the 3rd Cavalry Corps of General Aleksander Krymov and the Caucasian native cavalry division [nicknamed Savage Division] to Petrograd.

However, Kerensky soon changed his position and declared Kornilov a rebel. Since August 30, Kerensky combined the positions of Minister-Chairman and Supreme Commander-in-Chief. After suppressing Kornilov affair on September 1, 1917, Kerensky proclaimed Russia a Republic.

In the context of reassigning military units of the Petrograd garrison to the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee headed by the Bolsheviks, and of the October coup, which actually began on October 25, Kerensky left the capital for the Headquarters of the Northern Front in Pskov in search of forces that remained loyal to the Provisional Government. He was the initiator of the campaign against Petrograd of General Pyotr Krasnov’s Cossack units of the 3rd Cavalry Corps (October 26–31). The Cossacks were stopped and discouraged by the Bolsheviks in Gatchina. After that, Kerensky fled and went into hiding.

Since 1918, he lived in France in exile. He tried to gain support on the part of the Entente for the Provisional All-Russian Government (Ufa Directorate). Kerensky was a member of a number of émigré organizations. In 1927–1933, he was the editor of the newspaper (journal since 1928) Dni [Days] (Paris). Since 1940, he lived in the USA. He was the author of memoirs about the period of the revolution in Russia (The Kerensky memoirs: Russia and history’s turning point). Kerensky died in New York.