The term "dual power" has no strict interpretation. Real political collisions, which can be defined as dual power, can have many nuances that distinguish them from each other. But basically, dual power is understood as two types of the political state of society: diarchy, which is a completely legitimate form of government, and the simultaneous power of two opposing political forces, relations between which are not regulated by the laws in force in the country.
Diarchy is a legitimate form of power.
Diarchy (dyarchy or diarchy - Greek δι - "twice", αρχια - "rule") is a state system that unites two forms of power, each of which is legitimate and complements each other. The relations between these forms are regulated by law and are not conflicting.
Diarchy is one of the oldest forms of power. It took place in ancient Sparta, Carthage, Rome and many other countries. Sparta was ruled by two kings who had the right to veto each other's decisions. During a certain period of history, power in the Roman Empire belonged to two consuls, elected annually. They also had the right to veto each other's actions.
Sometimes power under the diarchy was divided in such a way that one head was responsible for the spiritual issues of the country's life, the other for the secular, including the military. This form of government was at one time in Hungary (the spiritual leader of the Kendé and the military leader of the Gyula), in the Khazar Kaganate (the kagan and the melek), in Japan (the emperor and the shogun).
A modern example of a diarchy is the principality of Andorra, where the heads of state are the Bishop of Urgell and the President of France. However, at present their power is a pure formality, in fact, the country is governed by the government of Andorra - the Executive Council.
Dual power as opposition.
More often, dual power is understood as the simultaneous power of two opposing political forces (organizations or people), each of which seeks to concentrate its entirety in its own hands. The most famous example of such a dual power is the confrontation between the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' Deputies in the period after the February Revolution of 1917.
At the end of February, a part of the State Duma deputies created the Provisional Committee, which saw its task in restoring the state and public order in the country, which had been violated during the February Revolution. At the same time, a Soviet of Workers' Deputies was created in Petrograd, the majority of whose members were Socialist-Revolutionaries and Mensheviks. The executive committee was the working body of the Petrograd Soviet.
To fill the power vacuum resulting from the arrest of the tsarist ministers, the Provisional Committee of the State Duma created a Provisional Government, which was supposed to rule the country until the time when the Constituent Assembly was convened, which was supposed to determine the future form of Russian government.
On March 4, Russian Emperor Nicholas II was forced to abdicate in favor of his brother Mikhail. The latter, after some reflection and negotiations with representatives of the Interim Committee of the State Duma, also abdicated the throne. Autocracy in Russia ceased to exist. Formally, power passed to the Provisional Government. However, in fact, local power belonged to local Soviets or did not belong to anyone, representing anarchy.
Initially, the Soviet of Workers' Deputies and the Provisional Government were not in acute confrontation and tried to coordinate their actions. However, over time, their confrontation increased, both political forces tried to seize full power. It was then that the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, put forward the slogan "All power to the Soviets!", Calling on the Soviets of Workers' Deputies to seize power.
The dual power ended in July 17, when the central bodies (CEC and Executive Committee) of the Soviets of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies recognized the unlimited powers of the Provisional Government, which was headed by A. F. Kerensky.
