1905 Revolution | davisonhistory

1905: Revolution

January 22nd 1905: Bloody Sunday. Father Gapon led a peaceful march, including women and children, to the Tsar’s Winter Palace in St Petersburg. The people were carrying icons (religious pictures) of the Tsar to show their respect for him. Thousands of factory workers had a petition asking for better working conditions, a minimum wage, higher pay and shorter working hours as well as more rights . The Tsar was not at the palace. The Tsar’s guards (Cossacks) panicked and fired on the crowd (hundreds were killed). This damaged the reputation of the Tsar.

This event led to a year of revolution.

There were strikes and riots all over Russia, especially in the cities of Moscow and St Petersburg.
Peasants attacked their landlords and took the land.
Soviets (workers councils) were set up in cities. People were taking the government into their own hands.
In February, the Tsar’s uncle was assassinated (murdered).
In June, sailors on the battleship Potemkin mutinied (refused to follow orders).
In September there was a general strike (all industries- this paralysed the country)

The Tsar had to do something to get control back.

HOW DID THE TSAR SURVIVE THE 1905 REVOLUTION?

HE USED A MIXTURE OF REPRESSION (force) AND REFORM (change)

The Tsar used force to crush the strikers in Moscow and St Petersburg. He brought soldiers back from Japan to do this. He arrested the leaders of the protesters and exiled them to Siberia or executed them.

He also made some changes:
1. He ended the war with Japan.
2. He allowed free speech and the right to form political parties.
3. He wrote the October Manifesto. This promised to allow a DUMA (a parliament). This made some of his opposition very happy. They called themselves the OCTOBRISTS. However others did not believe that the Tsar would allow the Duma much power. This divided and weakened his opponents. The Liberals and Intelligentsia were very pleased, but the revolutionaries and working class were not.

KEY POINTS: the Tsar still had the support of the army – this was vital for him to keep his power.

The Tsar also passed the FUNDAMENTAL LAWS which weakened the power of the Duma. It allowed the Tsar to shut them down if they didn’t do what he wanted