The 1905 revolution

The groups that led to revolution were the Industrial Workers, the Peasantry and the Reformist middle class. This was broad and when it came however it was accidental and due to the ill-judgement of the Tsar and influenced by Recession and bad harvests. It all started with Bloody Sunday, where Father Gapon lead a peaceful march to the winter palace in St.Petersburg, to present a petition begging for better conditions. The march however, caused panic and the marchers were fired on, with up to 200 people being killed. This ruined the image of the Tsar as the defender of the Russian people.

Disorder spread from this, with huge strikes around the country with terrorism against land owners organised by the SR’s. The RJW humiliation led to the assassination of Plehve. Peasants also seized huge country estates and squatted in them, who were influenced due to the huge mortgage’s they had to pay (emancipation decree). The nationalists also pushed for equal rights and an end to Russification. The Kadets persuaded all of the Liberal Groups to form a Union of Unions to replace the ‘gang of robbers’ in power.

The Potemkin Mutiny was one of many mutinies in the Army and Navy, as they were mainly peasants and had difficulty attacking their own kind. The crew of the Prince Potemkin mutinied at sea after having to live on stale water, borsch and putrid meat. The sailors elected a reprehensive to approach the captain to complain (Peter Vakulenchuk) and he was shot. The crew then attacked the officers, and took the ship. They sailed to the port of Odessa where a strike was happening and the Crew were treated as heroes. Troops were sent to Odessa and the people were drove into the sea. This was deeply troubling as a government that couldn’t rely on its army could possibly lose control all together. Witte also feared returning troops from the RJW would join the revolution.

The industrial unrest grown into a huge general strike and in a number of cities (Moscow, Petrograd) workers formed an elected soviet, to represent for better conditions and rights. They were however infiltrated by Revolutionaries who saw their potential

The Tsar was faced by a huge amount of opposition, and he had to concede in order to survive, mainly by appeasement. Witte drafted an October manifesto, in which the liberals were the first to be conceded.
- creation of an elected Duma
- Censorship ended
- Legalisation of trade unions
- Political parties given rights.

The liberals felt they had made a genuine advance. The Peasants were next pacified, by the declaration that the emancipation mortgage payments were graduated down until they were infact struck off. The peasants immediately stopped land seizures. The government had now appeased the major two areas of society, the ‘dark masses’ and the ‘reformists’. The government dealt with the workers, with suppression, killing many and soviets were burned down and Trotsky arrested. Nicholas then dismissed Witte, showing that he was truly out of touch.

The revolutionaries never really started the revolution and no SD’s really impacted the events. The tsarist system however, remained unscathed by the revolution, and proved that as long as the tsar held his nerve and the military remained loyal, the Tsarist system would stay strong. There was only little mutiny in the military; the peasants were easily appeased, as were the peasants. The Tsar also took back some of the concessions made by the Fundamental Law OF 1906 in which the Tsar could effectively ignore the Duma ‘the sovereign emperor possesses the initiative in all legislative matters. It is also true that few liberals enjoyed the Revolution as the grotesque manor of the peasants.

SUMMARY
Reasons for revolution
– Autocracy
– Emancipation Mortgages
– Economic and Agricultural backwardness (recession + bad harvests)
– Repression of the people
– Poor conditions
– RJW humiliation
– Russification/Anti-Semitism

Bloody Sunday
Peaceful march by Father Gapon, causes panic. 200 DEAD, damages Tsar’s image.
Strikes follow and Social unrest, peasants seize property, the Mensheviks form the Union of Union
Mutiny of Potemkin, forced to eat poor nutrition and ended up taking ship, sailed to Odessa, people forced into the sea.
The Soviets are formed by workers.

OCTOBER MANIFESTO
Liberals appeased
- Political Rights for parties, legalising TU’s, No censorship and lessening of Russification
- Duma to be created.
Peasants bought off by gradual removal of emancipation
Workers crushed and soviets burned,
Fundamental Law discredits duma

The first united opposition, but the tsarist system remained unhurt, as long as government kept its nerve and military remained loyal.