DP

Russian Revolution of 1905

The Revolution of 1905: Background and Revolutionary Events

  • Mounting Discontent and Formation of Parties:

    • At the turn of the century, three major parties formed: Constitutional Democratic, Social Revolutionary, and Social Democratic. These were more propaganda organizations than traditional parties since there were no national elections in Russia.

    • The parties consisted mainly of intellectuals without a strong popular base, often operating underground due to government surveillance.

  • Popular Unrest (Peasants and Workers):

    • Peasants began trespassing on lands and staging local insurrections against landlords and tax collectors.

    • Factory workers occasionally refused to work, indicating growing unrest. However, these movements had not yet established solid ties with the new political parties.

  • Tsar Nicholas II and Autocracy:

    • Nicholas II, ascending the throne in 1894, had a narrow view of governance, influenced by conservative teachings, particularly from Pobiedonostsev, a leader in the Russian Orthodox Church.

    • The Tsar viewed any challenge to autocracy, Orthodoxy, or Russian nationalism as unpatriotic. He and his officials believed that autocracy was divinely ordained and the only suitable form of government for Russia.

  • Government's Response to Discontent:

    • Chief Minister Plehve and court officials believed that a victorious war with Japan would unite the country under the Tsar. However, the Russo-Japanese War went poorly for Russia, exposing government incompetence.

  • Impact of Military Defeat on Liberalism:

    • Russia’s defeat to Japan led to a national feeling of shame and exposed the government’s inefficiency and inability to lead Russia's modernization.

    • Despite liberal criticism of the government, they could do little, as the regime was unresponsive to criticism and control.

  • The Role of Father Gapon:

    • The government allowed Father Gapon, a priest, to organize factory workers in St. Petersburg, hoping to counteract revolutionary propaganda.

    • However, Gapon took the workers' grievances seriously, which would later play a crucial role in sparking further unrest.

These notes break down the causes and early events leading to the 1905 Revolution, focusing on political discontent, government incompetence, popular unrest, and the immediate consequences of the Russo-Japanese War.

The Revolution of 1905 (Continued Notes)

  • Peasants' Belief in the Tsar ("Little Father"):

    • Factory workers, many of whom were uneducated peasants newly arrived in cities, believed the Tsar would help them if he knew of their plight. They thought the Tsar was above the corrupt bureaucrats, capitalists, and officials.

    • Workers drew up a petition requesting:

      • An 8-hour workday.

      • A minimum daily wage of 1 ruble.

      • Rejection of incompetent bureaucrats.

      • A democratically elected Constituent Assembly for representative government.

  • Bloody Sunday (January 1905):

    • Around 200,000 peaceful demonstrators, singing "God Save the Tsar," gathered in front of the Tsar's Winter Palace.

    • The Tsar was absent, and officials, fearing unrest, ordered troops to fire on the crowd, resulting in hundreds of deaths.

    • Impact of Bloody Sunday:

      • The event shattered the workers' belief that the Tsar was their ally.

      • It revealed the autocracy as the oppressive force behind taxes, landlords, and industrial owners.

      • Political strikes erupted across the country.

  • Rise of Soviets (Workers' Councils):

    • Social Democrats, mainly Mensheviks (not yet Bolsheviks), emerged to direct revolutionary movements.

    • Formation of Soviets: Councils of workers (Soviets) were formed in major cities like St. Petersburg and Moscow to lead strikes and organize the workers.

  • Peasant Uprisings:

    • Peasants began revolting, seizing gentry lands, burning manor houses, and attacking landowners.

    • Social Revolutionaries attempted to capitalize on these peasant uprisings.

  • Liberal Pressure for Reform:

    • The Constitutional Democrats (intellectuals, professors, businesspeople, lawyers) also pushed for change, advocating for more democratic representation in government.

  • Tsar's Initial Concessions:

    • In March 1905, Tsar Nicholas II promised to appoint officials "enjoying the confidence of the nation."

    • In August 1905 (after the defeat at the Battle of Tsushima in the Russo-Japanese War), he agreed to establish an Estates General, where peasants, landowners, and city dwellers could vote as separate classes.

    • However, the revolution continued to grow.

  • The October General Strike (1905):

    • The St. Petersburg Soviet, led by Mensheviks, declared a general strike in October.

      • Railroads stopped running, banks closed, newspapers stopped printing, and even lawyers refused to work.

      • The strike spread to other cities and even to the countryside.

  • The October Manifesto:

    • Facing widespread unrest, the Tsar issued the October Manifesto:

      • Promised a constitution, civil liberties, and a Duma (parliament) elected by all classes with the power to enact laws and control the administration.

    • Effect of the October Manifesto:

      • The Tsar's intent was to divide the opposition, and he succeeded.

      • Constitutional Democrats, satisfied with the promise of a Duma, believed social problems could be addressed through parliamentary means.

  • Fears Among Liberals and Landowners:

    • Liberals feared the growing power of revolutionaries.

    • Industrialists were alarmed by the strength labor had shown in the general strike.

    • Landowners demanded a restoration of order, particularly against peasant revolts.

  • Unrest Continues:

    • Despite the concessions, peasants still wanted more land and lower taxes.

    • Workers demanded shorter working hours and a living wage.

    • Revolutionary intellectuals (Mensheviks, Bolsheviks, etc.) worked to keep the agitation alive, pushing for the abolition of the Tsarist regime and the creation of a socialist republic.

    • The October Manifesto was seen by revolutionaries as a deception, and they believed the Tsar would abandon his promises once revolutionary pressure subsided.

    • Strikes, unrest, and even military mutinies (e.g., Kronstadt and the Black Sea Fleet) continued throughout Russia.

Summary:

The Revolution of 1905 saw widespread unrest, driven by growing discontent among workers, peasants, and liberal intellectuals. The Tsar's concessions, particularly the October Manifesto, briefly pacified some groups but failed to address the deeper structural issues. Revolutionary movements, led by groups like the Mensheviks and Social Revolutionaries, kept the pressure on, culminating in continued strikes and uprisings despite the government's promises.

The photograph depicts a protest march in St. Petersburg following "Bloody Sunday" in 1905. The image shows a crowd, primarily students, marching behind red flags—symbols of revolutionary movements at the time. This scene was part of the broader wave of demonstrations and strikes that erupted in response to the violent suppression of peaceful protestors earlier that year.

Further Notes on the 1905 Revolution (Continuing from Previous Notes)

  • Aftermath of Bloody Sunday:

    • Following Bloody Sunday, St. Petersburg and other cities saw an outburst of strikes, protests, and militant demonstrations.

    • Students, as seen in the protest march, were at the forefront of these movements, symbolically marching under red flags representing revolution.

  • Government Response:

    • Despite widespread unrest, the government maintained control by:

      • Arresting members of the St. Petersburg Soviet.

      • Negotiating peace with Japan (ending the Russo-Japanese War).

      • Recalling reliable troops from the Far East to suppress internal rebellion.

      • Revolutionary leaders either fled abroad, were imprisoned, or sent to Siberia.

      • Executions were carried out, particularly in rural areas where uprisings were common.

  • The Establishment of the Duma:

    • Result of the 1905 Revolution:

      • The most visible outcome was the creation of the Duma, a parliamentary institution that provided a semblance of constitutional monarchy.

      • From 1906 to 1916, Russia displayed the external features of a semi-constitutional system, though the Tsar still held significant power, and political reforms were limited in practice.

This series of events marked the transition toward parliamentary governance, but also highlighted the fragility of the Tsarist regime, as revolutionary fervor persisted despite these concessions.

Notes on the Post-1905 Russian Political Situation

  • Nicholas II's Restriction of the Duma:

    • In 1906, even before the Duma was officially convened, Tsar Nicholas II limited its powers. It was denied control over key areas such as foreign policy, the budget, and government appointments.

    • Nicholas remained firmly against any form of constitutional monarchy that would grant public participation in governance.

  • Opposition from Extremes:

    • Right-wing opposition:

      • Reactionary forces, such as the Black Hundreds, were staunch supporters of autocracy and the Orthodox Church. They sought to prevent public engagement with the Duma by terrorizing peasants and calling for a boycott of elections.

    • Left-wing opposition:

      • Revolutionary factions, including Social Revolutionaries and both the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks, also boycotted the Duma and refused to nominate candidates, rejecting it as a legitimate institution.

  • First Duma (1906):

    • The first Duma was elected through an indirect and unequal voting system that disproportionately favored the landowning class over peasants and workers.

    • Despite the rigged system, the liberal Constitutional Democrats (Cadets) won a significant majority and pushed for broader constitutional reforms.

    • The tsar dismissed the Duma after only two months, ignoring their demands for universal male suffrage and ministerial accountability to a parliamentary majority.

    • The Cadets fled to Viborg, Finland, calling for general strikes and tax resistance, but their appeals for revolution went unheeded.

  • Second Duma (1907):

    • In 1907, the second Duma was convened under more restrictive conditions, with government suppression of meetings and newspapers.

    • Socialists, including Social Revolutionaries and Mensheviks, participated for the first time, with 83 socialist candidates elected.

    • The Cadets, becoming more cautious, started cooperating with the government, seeking gradual progress.

    • The government arrested 50 socialist deputies, leading to the dissolution of the Duma once again.

  • Third and Fourth Dumas (1907-1916):

    • After changes to the electoral system that favored the landowning class, the third Duma convened and held several sessions between 1907 and 1912, followed by the fourth Duma (1912-1916).

    • These Dumas were dominated by conservatives, who largely supported the government and focused on smaller, concrete issues, avoiding fundamental questions of supreme power in Russia.

  • Stolypin Reforms:

    • Peter Stolypin, the tsar's key minister from 1906 to 1911, dissolved the first two Dumas and sought to strengthen the monarchy through reforms.

    • Stolypin's reforms aimed to create a base of propertied classes who would support the government and counteract the revolutionary movements.

Notes on Stolypin's Reforms and Russian Society Before WWI

  • Stolypin's Reforms:

    • Belief in Private Property: Stolypin believed that a state backed by widespread private property ownership would be resistant to revolutionary ideologies. His policies aimed to create a class of loyal, propertied peasants.

    • Zemstvos Empowered: The provincial zemstvos, local administrative bodies where larger landowners participated, were given greater power under his reforms.

    • Peasant Land Ownership:

      • Stolypin introduced sweeping land reforms aimed at breaking the traditional communal land system of the mirs (village communes).

      • Peasants were allowed to sell their shares of communal land, leave their villages, and gain private control over land.

      • Between 1907 and 1916, 6.2 million peasant families applied for legal separation from the mir to pursue independent farming.

  • Limitations of Stolypin's Reforms:

    • The reforms did not fully dismantle the mir system, and the majority of peasants still operated under communal rights and restrictions.

    • Land shortage remained a significant issue, especially in the most fertile agricultural regions, leading to continued land hunger and poverty in the countryside.

    • The rise of a new class of wealthy peasants, known as kulaks, created resentment among poorer peasants, but the traditional gentry remained the largest landowners.

  • Opposition to Stolypin:

    • Limited Support from the Tsar: Stolypin received only reluctant backing from Nicholas II.

    • Reactionary Discontent: Conservative circles resented Stolypin's reforms, fearing they would undermine traditional autocratic and Orthodox values.

    • Leftist Opposition:

      • Social Revolutionaries opposed the dissolution of the communes.

      • Marxists feared that Stolypin's reforms might eliminate the agrarian discontent that fueled revolutionary fervor.

      • Lenin, pessimistic about the prospects for revolution, famously remarked during this period, "I do not expect to live to see the revolution."

  • Stolypin's Assassination (1911):

    • Stolypin was assassinated while attending a theater performance in Kiev, in the presence of the tsar and tsarina.

    • The assassin was a member of the terrorist wing of the Social Revolutionaries, but there were suspicions that he was also a secret agent of the reactionary tsarist police.

    • Stolypin's predecessor, Plehve, and several other high-ranking officials had also been assassinated in recent years.

  • Russia on the Eve of World War I:

    • Despite ongoing violence and repression, Russia was moving in a more Western direction:

      • Industrial growth was on the rise.

      • Railway expansion continued.

      • Russian exports were almost half the value of those of the United States.

    • Russia had a parliament, though not a fully parliamentary government.

    • Private property and capitalism were spreading, and a guarded freedom of the press was emerging. The Bolshevik party even legally established the newspaper Pravda in St. Petersburg in 1912.

  • Challenges to Reform:

    • Russia’s Westernization was threatened from both sides:

      • Right-wing reactionaries: Defenders of tsardom and Orthodoxy were willing to precipitate a European war to maintain their position.

      • Left-wing revolutionaries: Many on the Left, especially the Bolsheviks, were discouraged by the lack of revolutionary progress, and membership in revolutionary parties was declining before the war.

  • Lenin's Pessimism:

    • On the eve of the war, Lenin and other revolutionary leaders lived in exile, often pessimistic about their chances of witnessing a revolution within their lifetimes. They reflected on the failure of the revolutionary fervor of 1905 to reignite.

Key words to memorize.

1.      Bloody Sunday (1905) – A peaceful protest where troops fired on unarmed workers and their families, sparking widespread outrage and strikes across Russia.

2.      Father Gapon – A priest who led the workers' petition to the Tsar during Bloody Sunday, believing the Tsar would listen to their grievances.

3.      Winter Palace – The site in St. Petersburg where Bloody Sunday occurred; workers gathered to present their petition to the Tsar.

4.      Tsar Nicholas II – The autocratic ruler of Russia during the 1905 Revolution, resistant to constitutional reforms.

5.      Political Strikes – A series of mass strikes following Bloody Sunday, organized by workers demanding political and social reforms.

6.      Soviets – Workers' councils that emerged in major cities like St. Petersburg and Moscow, becoming important revolutionary bodies.

7.      St. Petersburg Soviet – The most influential soviet formed during the 1905 Revolution, composed mainly of workers and Mensheviks.

8.      Mensheviks and Bolsheviks – Two factions of the Social Democratic Party; the Mensheviks were more moderate, while the Bolsheviks advocated for more radical revolutionary actions.

9.      Peasant Uprisings – Widespread rural revolts where peasants seized land and attacked landowners, adding to the revolutionary atmosphere.

10.  Constitutional Democrats (Cadets) – A liberal political party that advocated for parliamentary reforms and constitutional government during the 1905 Revolution.

11.  October Manifesto – A document issued by Tsar Nicholas II promising a constitution and the creation of the Duma, in response to widespread unrest.

12.  Duma – A legislative body created after the October Manifesto, intended to give Russians some representation, though it had limited powers.

13.  General Strike of 1905 – A massive strike initiated by the St. Petersburg Soviet, which paralyzed the country and forced concessions from the Tsar.

14.  Black Hundreds – A reactionary nationalist group that supported autocracy and the Orthodox Church, known for attacking revolutionaries and minorities.

15.  First Duma (1906) – The first Russian parliamentary assembly, which was dismissed after two months for demanding more constitutional rights.

16.  Cadets (Constitutional Democrats) – The main liberal party in the first Duma, advocating for universal male suffrage and ministerial responsibility to the parliament.

17.  Viborg Appeal – A declaration by Cadet members of the dissolved first Duma calling for civil disobedience, including non-payment of taxes.

18.  Second Duma (1907) – The second parliamentary assembly, including more socialist members, but it was dissolved after socialist deputies were arrested.

19.  Stolypin Reforms – Agrarian reforms initiated by Prime Minister Peter Stolypin to strengthen private land ownership among peasants and undermine revolutionary movements.

20.  Peasant Land Reforms – Stolypin’s measures allowing peasants to leave the communal farming system (mir) and obtain individual ownership of land.

21.  Kulaks – Wealthier peasants who benefited from Stolypin's reforms and owned significant land, becoming a new rural class.

22.  Assassination of Stolypin (1911) – Stolypin was assassinated by a Socialist Revolutionary, though the assassin may have also been a government agent.

23.  Pravda – A socialist newspaper established in 1912, linked to the Bolsheviks and reflecting growing political dissent in Russia.

24.  Westernization – The process of adopting Western European-style reforms in Russia, particularly industrialization and limited political freedoms, though resisted by extremists.

25.  Decline of Revolutionary Movements – On the eve of World War I, revolutionary movements in Russia, including the Bolsheviks, were losing support and their leaders lived in exile.

Mind Map: The Revolution of 1905

Central Idea

The Revolution of 1905: Background and Revolutionary Events

Main Branches

1. Mounting Discontent and Formation of Parties

  • Major Parties Formed

    • Constitutional Democratic

    • Social Revolutionary

    • Social Democratic

  • Characteristics

    • Propaganda organizations

    • Operated underground

2. Popular Unrest (Peasants and Workers)

  • Peasant Actions

    • Trespassing on lands

    • Insurrections against landlords

  • Worker Actions

    • Factory strikes

    • Lack of ties to political parties

3. Tsar Nicholas II and Autocracy

  • Governance Style

    • Influenced by conservative teachings

    • Viewed challenges as unpatriotic

  • Beliefs

    • Autocracy as divinely ordained

4. Government's Response to Discontent

  • War with Japan

    • Belief in uniting the country

    • Poor performance in Russo-Japanese War

5. Impact of Military Defeat on Liberalism

  • National Shame

    • Exposed government inefficiency

    • Liberal criticism met with unresponsiveness

6. The Role of Father Gapon

  • Organizing Workers

    • Allowed by the government

    • Took grievances seriously

Revolutionary Events

1. Peasants' Belief in the Tsar

  • Petition Demands

    • 8-hour workday

    • Minimum wage

    • Democratic representation

2. Bloody Sunday (January 1905)

  • Event Details

    • Peaceful demonstration

    • Troops fired on crowd

  • Aftermath

    • Shattered belief in the Tsar

    • Nationwide political strikes

3. Rise of Soviets

  • Formation of Councils

    • Directed by Social Democrats

    • Organized strikes

4. Peasant Uprisings

  • Actions Taken

    • Seizing lands

    • Attacking landowners

5. Liberal Pressure for Reform

  • Constitutional Democrats

    • Advocated for democratic representation

6. Tsar's Initial Concessions

  • Promises Made

    • Appointing trusted officials

    • Establishment of the Duma