4. The 1905 Revolution

Question 1

What the revolution?

Answer 1

A revolution broke out in 1905 when soldiers fired on 200 000 workers who had marched to the Winter Palace in St Petersburg, the capital, to present a petition to the tsar.

Question 2

What did this petition ask for?

Answer 2

Improved working conditions and basic human rights

Question 3

What was the Bloody Sunday massacre?

Answer 3

The event when unarmed demonstrators were fired upon by soldiers of the imperial guard as they marched towards the Winter Palace to present a petition to Tsar Nicholas II Of Russia.

Question 4

What happened after the Bloody Sunday Massacre?

Answer 4

It sparked off strikes, demonstrations, riots,mutinies and unrest throughout Russia. This unrest fueled protests against the government.

Question 5

What did workers in St. Petersburg form?

Answer 5

The first Soviet, to organize the protests and to put together the worker’s demands . Soon Soviets were formed in other parts of Russia too.

Question 6

Who was Leon Trotsky? And what did he write?

Answer 6

A Social Democrat who then supported the Mensheviks and was an important leader of the St. Petersburg Soviet. He wrote pamphlets and newspaper articles to inspire workers.

Question 7

Although the tsar closed down the Soviet and _____ was sent to prison, many people realized he was an outstanding leader.

Answer 7

Trotsky

Question 8

State the demands of the petition:(5)

Answer 8

• amnesty
• civil liberties
• fair wages
• gradual transfer of land to the people
• meeting of Constituent assembly on the basis of universal and equal suffrage

Question 9

What is amnesty?

Answer 9

Official pardon for past crimes

Question 10

What are civil liberties?

Answer 10

Rights that protect people from abuse by governments

Question 11

What is a constituent assembly?

Answer 11

A body elected to draw up a consistution; a parliament

Question 12

What is equal suffrage?

Answer 12

A vote for all people no matter their class, gender, religion or race

Question 13

What did the uneducated workers proveL

Answer 13

They were straightforward people awakened to political consciousness.

Question 14

What is political consciousness?

Answer 14

Awareness of political issues, how the system works and how it needs changing.

Question 15

What did the tsar establish to stop protests?

Answer 15

Russia’s first duma

Question 16

What was the duma and what did it entail and how did it keep the tsar in power?

Answer 16

Parliament,. All adult men could vote and the duma could pass new laws . The promise of reform, and the fact that the armed forces remained loyal to him, kept the tsar in power.

Question 17

Some groups welcomed the establishment of a ____, but Lenin didn’t believe that it would lead to real _____. He was proved correct when the tsar dismissed the first two dumas after only a few months because he felt their demands were too ____. He made sure it had no real power.

Answer 17

Duma
Change
Radical

Question 18

What did socialists previously believe needed to happen before a revolution could take place?

Answer 18

Socialists had believed that change would by workers in an industrialized country, where old society of landlords and peasants had already been overturned by a capitalist class, such in France and Britain.

Question 19

Trotsky argued Russia didn’t need to be industrialized for a revolution to occur so what did he suggest?

Answer 19

A small but unified working class could start a revolution in a mainly rural peasant society.

Question 20

How did the Revolution and Trotsky influence Lenin?

Answer 20

He was influenced about the importance of organizing the industrial workers to lead the Revolution without alliances or other parties.

Question 21

Who did Lenin believe could bring about change?

Answer 21

A small and well-organized group of vanguard (leading) revolutionaries.

Question 22

What is a vanguard?

Answer 22

A small organized group which takes lead.

Question 23

What did the 1905 revolution show?(2)

Answer 23

• It showed how mass participation of workers and peasants could be a powerful force for change. These events greatly influenced later revolutionary leaders such as Trotsky and Lenin.
• It also showed that the Tsarist government was still strong enough to keep control.

Question 24

Which event led to the downfall of the tsar?

Answer 24

First World War which started in 1914

Question 25

Why was the First World War such a failure for Russia?(3)

Answer 25

• joined the allied forces but was badly prepared for war
• lacked money to manufacture weapons,feed,clothe and train soldiers
• Russians killed or taken prisoner

Question 26

Who defeated the Russians several times?

Answer 26

The German army

Question 27

What was the effect of the war on Russia?

Answer 27

• great starins on Russian economy
• agriculture and industry were affected by military conscription
• 100’s Of factories closed down because of shortages of raw mats,fuel and labour