Russia - 1905 Revolution Flashcards
How long did it take the Russian navy to reach the Battle of Tsashima Straights?
8 months
How long did it take for the Japanese to defeat the Russian navy in the Battle of Tsashima Straights?
45 mins
Why did the defeat at Tsashima reflect poorly on Nicholas II?
- Lost more support from his people
- Lost faith in his leadership
- Seemed incompetent and necessary to replace
How can we tell the Russo-Japanese war was unpopular?
- Strikes and riots occurred during the war
- Unrest from people even during a time of conflict
- No patriotism
Why was the unpopularity of the war another cause of the 1905 revolution?
- Meant that Nicholas lost more support from his people
- More people were willing to revolt against him
What was agreed in the Russo-Japanese peace treaty that was good for Russia?
- Didn’t need to pay compensation
- Meant that defeat didn’t seem as severe
What were the key causes for peasant unrest?
- Land shortages
- Famines
- High taxes
- Redemption payments
How did land shortages contribute to the 1905 revolution?
- Lost support
- Blamed Tsar + poor leadership
How did famines contribute to the 1905 revolution?
- Amount of death shocked Russian population
- Some were reported on which drew attention to the crisis
- Tsar lost support
How did high taxes + redemption payments contribute to the 1905 revolution?
- Extreme poverty made people discontent
- Tsar lost loyalty
- Encouraged people to look for other political options to solve their problems
Why were peasants less likely to be the cause of the 1905 revolution?
- Many still devotedly followed the church
- Church preached obedience to Tsar
What were the key causes of workers unrest?
- Poor housing
- Low wages + long hours due to recession
- High bread + rent prices
How did compact housing lead to revolution?
- Close quarters lead to spread of revolutionary ideas
- Allowed more people to conspire + more unrest
Why were poor wages + housing causes for the 1905 revolution?
- Poor living conditions lead to unrest
- People were more likely to turn to revolution
- Desperation
Who implemented trade unions?
- Zubatov
- Head of Russian police
Why trade unions allowed?
- To help vent workers’ anger
- Give workers a voice
What class was particularly upset about censorship?
Middle class
Who was murdered by a political group that showed the threat they posed?
Alexander II
Why did the ban of political parties help to lead to revolution?
- Lack of voice for lower + middle classes
- More likely to act out in violence to be heard
How did the use of censorship lead to the 1905 revolution?
- Middle class turned against Tsar due to lack of voice
- No action from Tsar which led to discontent
How did the Okhrana make political problems less of a threat to the Tsar’s power?
- Very good at searching out illegal political opponents
- Effectiveness caused people to be too afraid to revolt
- Forced groups underground + made them work separately, making them less powerful
Where did strikes caused by Bloody Sunday occur?
- All over Russia
- Moscow
- Odessa
- St Petersburg
- Warsaw
How many were striking in St Petersburg after Bloody Sunday to begin with?
150,000
How many people were estimated to have been killed during Bloody Sunday?
Around 200
How many people did the government claim were killed during Bloody Sunday?
96
How many people did revolutionaries claim were killed during Bloody Sunday?
Several thousands
Why was the spread of the strikes across Russia a contributing factor towards the revolution?
- Encouraged people who were previously peaceful to become politically active
- Revolution caused by sheer numbers
Why did the exaggeration of the Bloody Sunday death toll lead to revolution?
- Turned more people against the Tsar
- Seen as a heartless killer
Why was the impact of Bloody Sunday less impactful in causing revolution?
- Strikes were already happening across the country
- Caused by other factors such as Russo-Japanese War
