Causes of the 1905 Russian Revolution

What year = Russian Revolution (if you don;t know this, ur already NA)

1905

what was the revolution

period of political and social upheaval, culminating in overthrowing the tsarist autocracy and the establishmenet of the soviet union

the tsar family (romanov)

last imperial dynasty of russia, ruling from 1613 until their overthrow and execution by the bolsheviks in 1918 - ending three century old russian dynasty.

Bloody Sunday

the massacre of peaceful demonstrators by the Russian army in St Petersburg

4th Feb 1905

terrorists kills the Tsar’s uncle, Grand Duke Sergei

\- a solid start for the event to represent the growing frustration of society.

By October of 1905

The middle classes demanded elections

the Kadet Party integrated all opposition groups, including workers, students, liberals and revolutionaries, to demand radical change.

a general strike in Moscow

13th October 1905

The Mensheviks, formed the St Petersburg Soviet, a workers’ committee.

The Workers’ Committee

An organisation formed during the revolution, established to represent the interests of workers and act as a mediator between the workers and the factory owners while the workers were demanding better working conditions and higher wages on strikes.

Was typically composed of elected representatives from each factory/industry. It helped coordinate the strikes and negotiate with factory owners on behalf of the worker

October Manifesto

A document issued by Tsar Nicholas II in response to the Revolution promising a series of political reforms, including establishing civil liberties such as freedom of speech, assembly and associations.

It also promised to address the grievances of the peasants, workers and ethnic minorities in Russia. 

Tsar’s failure/inability to reform

led to the revolt by the peasants and working-class people of Russia towards the government and the Tsars.

Abolishment of serfdom

initially aimed to avoid rebellion

However, it disappointed many because the freed serfs had to buy land and pay taxes → unfulfilled expectations.

People's Will group

An opposition group in Russia emerged due to frustration with the political system and economic exploitation.

The group that assassinated Tsar Alexander II, leading to a more repressive regime under Tsar Alexander III.

People's Will

Russification

A policy introduced by Tsar Alexander III

it promoted the Russian language and culture

limited the rights of minority groups and suppressing dissent

Characterisation of Tsar Nicholas II

The last Tsar of Russia who inherited the throne after his father's death.

He lacked the necessary skills and leadership qualities to rule effectively

lack of education and confidence in implementing reforms. He also seemed uninterested in politics.

Tsars Vulnerability

Tsar’s fear of reform.

made people want to overthrow the Romanov system through revolution

Okhrana

The secret police in Russia responsible for monitoring and suppressing dissent to maintain the Tsar's authority.

what played a large role in legitimising the Tsar’s rule and supporting the idea of monarchy

the Orthodox Church

the Tsarist regime’s reliance on repression and censorship created ______ effect, according to historian Richard Pipes, ultimately leading to outbursts of opposition in Russia.

“pressure cooker”

What conditions did peasants face?

faced harsh living and working conditions, often with no land or resources to call their own (most people alive was peasants)

What conditions did the urban proletariats face?

low wages, long working hours and unsafe conditions

what did the poor conditions include and ensured.

Included taxes and repayment for land, which peasants paid to the nobles.

Poor working conditions ensured more profits for the middle class and further tax for the nobility, which explained the harmful working conditions and the large gap between the rich and the poor.

consequence of the inability of the Romanov tsars to modernise Russia

About 80% of the population lived in poverty and hardship in rural areas, living on unproductive land with debt.

the pressure of taxes, redemption payment and shortage of good fertile farming land meant that many peasants could not support themselves by farming.

reforms to grow russia economically

In 1893, the Tsar appointed Sergei Witte as the minister of finance. He invested and organised huge loans from France, Belgium and Britain and taxed the peasants. Russia invested a lot of money to build factories employing more than 1000 workers.

despite more job opportunities, the working conditions were…

deplorable and long, where workers worked an average of 11 hours a day, and little to no concern was shown for the workers’ health and safety.

These unfair circumstances that most of the Russian population have been forced into would have significantly contributed to the revolution.

Significant short-term cause of the revolution

The Russo-Japanese War

Peaceful demonstrators marched towards the Winter Place in St. Petersburg to present the workers' petition to the Tsar, demanding better working conditions, higher wages and the right to form trade unions.

On January 22nd, 1905

How was the peaceful protests met?

With brutal and violent force, leading to hundreds of deaths and injuries.

The firing of the protestors demonstrated the importance of military force in upholding the autocracy and the power they held against the nation.

The massacre also catalysed strikes, protests and uprisings across the country, with workers and peasants demanding political and social reforms.

The significance of the Workers’ Peititon

reflected the aspirations and frustration of the people in Russia, who wanted social and political reform rather than regime change as they still revered the Tsar.

They wanted to present it to the Tsar, thinking he was hidden from understanding or had awareness about the conditions of Russia and its economic slump.

How great was the Tsar in the Russo-japanese war

 Tsar had poor leadership skills with inadequate troops, planning and a lack of supplies/weapons.

The international humiliation and resultant shortages that followed were damaging to the prestige of the Tsar, further fueling discontent among the people.