part 4: what was the 1905 revolution and how serious was it?

why is the term ‘1905 revolution’ misleading?

it continued into 1906 and beyond, some believed it started in 1904 with the League of Liberation’s ‘banquet campaign’

what is Manchuria, and why did Russia want to get its hand on it?

• Chinese province of Manchuria

• mineral wealth

• ‘warm water’ seaport at Port Arthur

why would Port Arthur be so important to Russia? what was the problem with Vladivostok?

Vladivostok was iced over in winter

Russia’s main rival for Manchuria was Japan

1. what happened in 1895?

2. in 1898?

3. in the early 1900s?

4. in 1904?

1. Japan wanted to seize Port Arthur, but forced to back pedal due to pressure

2. russia tricked China into giving it control of Port Arthur

3. Russia + Japan’s attempts to settle differences failed

4. Japan attacked Russia without warning

what did Nicholas think would happen in the war?

thought the Japanese were racial inferiors who could be easily swatted aside

Russo-Japanese war (1904-05):

1. in January 1905?

2. in February 1905?

3. in May 1905

1. Japan laid siege to Port Arthur, it surrendered

2. Russian land forces lost a hard-fought battle at Mukden

3. Russia’s defeat at the naval battle of Tsushima. Russia’s main naval force in Pacific trapped in Port Arthur. Nicholas ordered Russia’s Baltic fleet to sail around the world which took 8 months. they lost

the war ended with the Treaty of Portsmouth USA - in which Russia agreed what?

abandon Port Arthur and its ambitions in Manchuria

impact of Russo-Japanese war:

1. liberals were angry about

2. many liberals were happy it was going badly, why?

3. how does the timing of the banquet campaign link to the Russo Japanese war?

4. why were the working classes upset?

1. mishandling of the war

2. regime were wounded and vulnerable

3. wanted political change - more assertive

4. unemployment and food prices rose

Bloody Sunday (January 22nd, 1905, St Petersburg):

1. how many demonstrators?

2. where were they headed?

3. who attacked them?

4. how many killed/wounded?

5. who led it?

6. what was he leader of?

7. it was originally a ‘police union’ meaning what?

8. why did the Okhrana tolerate police unions?

9. the march was prompted by a strike at which vital industrial centre?

1. 150,000

2. tsar’s winter palace - city centre

3. Russian army units

4. 200 killed, 800 wounded

5. father Gapon

6. assembly of Russian factory and millworkers

7. illegal trade union sanctioned and funded by the Okhrana

8. way of keeping workers out of the clutches of the socialist parties

9. St Petersburg’s giant Putilov engineering works

consequences of Bloody Sunday:

1. how many workers went on strike?

2. what happened with students?

3. what did Liberals do?

4. why was Bloody Sunday more important than the R-J war?

1. nearly half a million

2. closure of universities for the rest of the academic year

3. bombarded government with petitions demanding political reform

4. Bloody Sunday in heart of the capital city. Peaceful protestors were shot causing outrage

which groups were involved in the revolution?

middle-class liberals, industrial workers, peasants, national minorities

what happened with the battleship Potemkin?

mutineers from the battle shop Potemkin joined forces with striking workers in Odessa: over 2000 killed - troops intervene

why was this revolution disorganised/disconnected?

kept shaken + uncertain government under pressure until concessions made

the liberals led at first - what activities did they do?

held conferences, draft petitions, form new organisations

what group did the liberals form and who was in it?

union of unions. variety: lawyers, doctors, teachers, engineers

why did the liberals lose momentum?

• some thought they won

• some feared Russia would turn into disorder and anarchy

examples of what the liberals did

• petitioning campaign

• national congress of zemstvo representatives held to demand reform

what was the lacey party and which liberal groups formed to create it?

supporters of League of Liberation and Union of Unions came to form the Constitutional Democratic Party (kadets)

who took over the revolution in october 1905?

• industrial workers

• labour movement

which two worker groups started the general strike?

• moscow printers

• railway workers

what did the general strike call for?

• 8 hour day

• basic rights

• constitution

what working class organisation rose to prominence?

St Petersburg Soviet

What is a soviet?

Russian word meaning ‘council’

how large was the socialist (SR/SD) involvement?

small

which socialist came out of it week and what was he involved in?

• Leon Trotsky

• leading figure in St Petersburg soviet

why did the countryside kick off in autumn 1905?

sensed that tsarist regime lost its nerve

what was the main peasant protest action?

attacks on landowners property

the peasant were ‘“land hungry’ - what does that mean?

peasants aimed to drive landowners out of the countryside hoping to gain their land

what did the SRs form for the peasants in July?

All Russian Peasants Union as a rural counter part to the Union of Unions

why were the border areas revolting?

nationalist, anti-Russian

how many troops were sent to Poland?

250,000

example of revolutionary activity in Poland

• 93 killed when protestors clashed with troops in Warsaw

• over 100 killed street fighting in Lodz

what was the St Petersburg Soviet? each member represented what?

• council of elected representatives of the city’s industrial workers

• 500 workers

how many members, representing what, existed in October 1905?

562 representative from 147 factories, 34 shops, 16 trade unions

what was formed to lead the soviet?

30 member exclusive committee

which parties were allowed to be on the executive committee?

mensheviks, bolsheviks, SRs

how did the soviet stop the parties taking over the soviet?

gave less representatives to those who represented a higher power

what had the St Petersburg Soviet been at first?

strike committee

where did other soviets form?

other towns and cities in Russia

what newspaper did the St Petersburg Soviet form?

izvestia

what did the St Petersburg Soviet form to protect the city?

armed militia (citizens not soldiers)

what did the St Petersburg Soviet give to the poor?

food and money

what was the St Petersburg Soviet’s main activity?

political campaigning

how did the St Petersburg Soviet resist takeover by the liberals/middle class?

founded by activists not middle class. ensured it retained its class identity

which group/person soon took over the Soviet Executive Committee?

• mensheviks

• trotsky

what did Trotsky get the Soviet to campaign for?

8 hour day

who did Trotsky get the Soviet to support?

Polish rebels and mutineers in the Russian navy

what happened to the soviet in December 1905?

government hit back. St Petersburg soviet disbanded - arrest and imprisonment of entire membership

Trotsky:

• family background

• original party

• what party did he join in 1917?

• what was he good at

• why was he disliked?

• Jewish landowners in Ukraine

• mensheviks

• bolsheviks

• leading

• was arrogant