1905: Why

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1905 Why?
Causes, Course and Consequences
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Key Questions

• Think about the things which motivated those who
  marched on St Petersburg
• What actually happened during the course of 1905?
• Reasons why the events of 1905 are significant?

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Resources and References

• Lynch
• Traynor
• Heinemann
• Morrison, History Review, Dec. 2000 (article).

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Definitions

• Revolution
• A usually violent coup detat which replaces
  the previous system of government with another
  system, and often involves a change of
  leadership.
• The replacement of one ruling class by another.

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What do you normally expect to happen in a
revolution?
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Causes Surface

• Russo-Japanese War
• Political repression and counter reforms
• maintain this form of government except by
  violence
• Famine in the villages and peasant riots.
• Heavy taxation and fear losing lands through
  mortgage default.
• Government incompetence
• Growing class-consciousness.

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Bloody Sunday.massacre of unarmed
petitioners Lynch.

• 22nd January 1905
• Father Gapon (Okhrana secret agent) leader.
• 200,000 people take petition to Winter Palace
• Cossacks shoot at protestors
• 100s killed

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Course of 1905
Father Gapon had also written the petition that
was to be presented in the Winter Palace. An
eight-hour working day and universal suffrage
were the main demands.

• See extra sheets.

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Causes 1
Political Policies of reaction and
Russification Increase in Russian Liberalism
combined with lack of political reforms (Zemstva
Senseless dreams)
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Causes 2
Social Population growth Peasants collected
together in towns in order to earn money. New
urban proletariat unhappy with working conditions
- half a million strike in January. Peasants
unhappy about redemption payments.
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Causes 3
Economic Rapid industrial expansion Land hunger
peasants seizing land, attacks on landlords
estates, illegal pasteurising. Working conditions
poor long hours, low pay.
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Causes 4
Military Defeats suffered during the
Russo-Japanese War (loss of Port Arthur) Low
morale amongst soldiers because of defeats
soldiers mutiny on the Trans-Siberian railway
wanting to come home.
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Effect 1

• Tarnishes Nicholass image
• From Little Father to Bloody Nick
• Strikes across the country
• Increase in terrorist activity organised by the
  SRs
• Minority states declare independence (e.g.
  Georgia)
• June 1905 Potemkin crew murder officers
• August 1905 End of Russo-Japanese War
• Autumn 1905 General Strike

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Effect 2

• Moscow and St Petersburg Soviets formed.
  (Menshevik Trotsky becomes Chairman of the St
  Petersburg Soviet
• October Manifesto formulated
• Who was affected by the Manifesto?
• Liberals Legislative Duma granted.
• Civil Rights promised freedom of speech,
  assembly, worship, legalising of trade unions
• Peasants November 1905 - mortgage repayment for
  peasants abolished
• Industrial Workers Proletariat repressed even
  more Soviets disbanded with the use of force.

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Significance

• Revolution occurred in spite of them the
  Revolutionaries rather than because of them.
  LYNCH
• The autocracy emerged stronger as a result.
  (Mutinies did not continue loyal troops and
  destroy the soviets)
• Readiness of groups to accept Tsars concession
  shows that Liberals/Peasants did not really want
  revolutionary change.
• Concessions not real but expedient.
• 1906 Fundamental Laws reasserted the power of the
  Tsar over the state.
• Dress rehearsal for 1917 Trotsky.

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Lessons of 1905

• If the Tsar and army kept its nerve, protest
  would find it difficult to mount a serious
  challenge.
• Questioned how much liberals wanted change.
• Trosky strikers and protestors were disunited
  and inexperienced.
• Liberals had backed the revolution and then left
  the workers at the mercy of the army.
• Although with a couple of broken ribs, (the
  Tsarist system) had come out of the experience of
  1905 alive and strong.

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Why was the Tsar able to survive the 1905
revolution?
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Was There a Revolution in Russia in 1905?