1905 Revolution

1905 Revolution

1. Causes

   • Economical
     • economic depression of 1902 led to unemployment
       • created social tension
     • Witte industralisation gave workers low wages
     • Wittes reforms encouraged ideas for social and political reforms
     • increase in taxes caused outrage among peasants
   • Social
     • food shortages from war
     • harvest failures = famine
     • increase in education led to spread of revolutionary ideas
     • poor working/living conditions provoked bloody sunday
     • minorities wanted more autonomy and end of Russification
     • students protested against repressive government
     • workers had long hours and little pay
     • industralisation caused rapid population growth
   • Political
     • Russo-Japanese war February 1904
       • food shortages
       • unemployment
       • high prices
     • Tsarist repressive regime
     • Nicholas encouraged idea of reforms
     • autocratic government different from rest of Europe
     • Bloody Sunday massacre
       • Tsar's troops fired on peaceful revolutionaries outside palace when Tsar was absent
     • government seen as incompotent
     • reformist groups formed
       • SR wanted peasant revolution to create socialism around peasant communes
       • SD wanted working classes to stage revolution to create socialist state, then communism

2. Consequences

   • October Manifesto
     • put forward in fear of being overthrown
     • promised reforms and proposal for an elected national parliament
     • promised freedom of speech, religion and civil rights
   • Fundamental laws
     • 1906 creation of national parliament with Duma elected
     • article 87: Tsar had right to govern by decree
   • Dumas
     • 1st 1906
       • wanted major land and political reform
       • dissolved after 73 days
     • 2nd 1907
       • many reformers
       • dissolved November 1907
     • 3rd 1907-1912
       • only wealthy could vote for members
       • Tsar faced little demand for reform
   • Black Hundreds
     • antisemitic groups formed
     • landowners, bueracrats, police officials and clergymen
     • raids against revolutionary groups and Jews

3. 1) St Petersburg strike

4. 2) soviets appeared in towns, strike committee

5. 3) trade unions illegally formed

6. 4) peasants union demanded land be common property of the people

7. 5) students striked

8. 6) Japan defeats Russia

9. 7) promise of national assembly, but opposition too large

10. 8) workers on strike, set up soviet with Trotsky

11. 9) officials in ministry and treasury striked

12. 10) Tsar summoned Witte for help