What were the causes of the 1905 Russian revolution?

What were the causes of the 1905 Russian revolution?

1. Short Term

   • Military
     • Russian leaders underestimated the Japenese Forces.
     • Russian population didnt believe that the Japenese could defeat russian forces.
     • When Russia lost, it was a blow nd humiliation to the Russian Monarchy.
   • Bloody Sunday
     • 22 january. Unarmed demonstraters.
     • Leader - Priest: Father Gapon
     • Demosstrated outside Winter Palace to give Tsar a petition.
     • Wants - Shorter working hours and a minimum wage.
     • Armed guards turned on them. Many died.
     • Shocked populatiion, Led to many strikes and disturbances. So seen as a big short term reason for the 1905 revolution.

2. Long Term

   • Reforms
     • Alexander II had created many reforms.
     • Changes to government and legal system were both limited so led to more liberal refom.
     • Alexander III tightened government control and persecution of minority groups liks jews within the empire.
   • Conditions for peasants were ppor and for the unrban workers in the towns were no better. They worked in poor ventilated factories for long hours and not much pay. No trade unions for the protection of the workers. Their homes crowded and poorly built. Big unemployment in the empire due to the recession between 1899 and 1903.
   • Emancipation Edict of 1861
     • Legislation that gave fredom to serfs, but the peasants werent happy as they had to pay to get their land back as they were tied to the village communes. They thought they should have more land without cost.
     • Peasant anger shown in the peasant disturbances of 1902
     • Landowners were also unhappy with the terms of emancipation. They lost the free labour of thiers serfs and large amounts of land. This ended up with them facing large debts in 1905.

3. Other Factors

   • Revolutionary Groups
     • Became more organised.
     • Social Revolutioonaries assassinated Plheve and leading figures such as lenin werent around.

4. Nicholas II Weaknesses

   • He was not a strong leader unlike those before him which led to his own downfall. He als o wasnt at Winter Palace to recieve the demonstration partition, which was a mistake. And he wasnt looked upon as the father and protector of his people.