Causes of 1905 Revolutions

Question 1

ARG

Answer 1

• Socio-economic conditions
• Russo-Japanese War
• Political repression (rise of opposition

Question 2

Russo Japanese War

Answer 2

Waller

a. National humiliation –> i. Russian Baltic fleet arrived in spring of 1905 were Japanese in Tsushima succeeded in destroying 8 Russian battleships and 4 cruises, leaving 4,000 Russians dead and 7,000 imprisoned

b Incompetence –> i. All troops and supplied had to be sent along the Trans-Siberian Railway taking 6 days

Question 3

Perspectives of Russo Japanese War

Answer 3

However, one perspective is that in spite of the war, the mutinies were disorganised and quickly crushed.

Despite these mutinies, the armed forces were largely apolitical and remained mostly loyal, if dissatisfied—and were widely used by the government to control the 1905 unrest.

Question 4

Socio Economic Conditions

Answer 4

Luxembourg

Before 1905, most of the rapidly growing Russian population was in poverty - over 80% were peasants.

Annual growth fell from 8% to 1% after 1899

Red Cockerel between 1903-04 where the arsonists red flames resembled a rooster’s com

Although peasants could get by on good harvests, there was always the risk of a harvest failure, such as the ones in 1892, 1898 and 1901

Question 5

Political Reprecussion

Answer 5

• Defronzo argues that revolution was onset by discontent with the Tsar’s dictatorship manifested through the growth of parties deciated to the overthrow of the regime led to the revolution.
• This perspective cites that the intelligentsia and members of the zemstvo continued to press for moderate liberal reform, including an advisory State Duma with most extreme members forming the Union of Liberation; this group saw the organisation of 50 revolutionary banquets during the winter of 1904, at which speakers attacked the government and demanded constitutional change.
• Radical socialists had also increased in strength after 1900. Both the SRs and SDs helped provoke unrest; they encouraged strikes and confrontations and continued to argue that the answer to Russia’s problems lay in Marxist Revolution

Question 6

Perspectives in Pol reprecussion

Answer 6

• That being said most of the peasantry were alienated from this political radicalisation with only extreme members of this formed the Union of liberation and only extremist radical socialists involved in the assassination of prominent officials.