The 1905 "Revolution"

Question 1

Economic reasons for Revolution

Answer 1

Industrialisation created large proletariat

Economic growth slumped from 8 to 1% after 1899

Question 2

Profiles of Opposition Groups: Social Revolutionaries

Answer 2

Social Revolutionaries (SR) was an extremely violent group of radical left leaning, that organized various high-profile assassinations

Question 3

Profiles of Opposition Groups: Social Democrats

Answer 3

The SRs mostly peaceful counterpart, there was a split in 1903 between the Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks believed most strongly in Marxist ideology.

Question 4

Bloody Sunday

Answer 4

9 January 1905, Father Georgi Gapon, the head of the Assembly of Saint Petersburg Factory Workers, defies the government’s ban and organizes a protest outside the Winter Palace.

Official reports (very conservative estimates) say that 150 were killed and 450 wounded.

Question 5

The October Manifesto

Answer 5

A response to the numerous strikes and protests inspired by 9 January, on 17 October the tsar issued this manifesto which promised: (1) Full civil liberties (2) A constitutional democracy and (3) The establishment of a State-Duma, with full law making powers.

Question 6

Reading behind the words of the Manifesto

Answer 6

The Manifesto begins with the line “By the grace of God Emperor.” The message is explicit - the tsar is and will remain the ultimate authority in Russia.

Zero specificity of how or to what extent the promises of the Manifesto are to be met

Question 7

Tsar’s destruction of opposition after Manifesto

Answer 7

(1) Crashed opposition
(2) Destroyed Saint Petersburg Soviet
(3) Opposition leaders put on trial or went to exile
(IE - Trotsky)
(4) Bolshevik attempts at revolution crushed

Question 8

The Fundamental Laws

Answer 8

Published April 190, contained important points:

(1) Nicholas refuses to drop “autocratic” from government
(2) New electoral system implemented in zemstvas and for the new State Duma that discriminated against town-dwellers, favoring landowners and nobles
(3) Created State Council, to counteract the Duma
(4) Tsar has power to: (1) Nominate members of State Council (2) Veto decisions made by State Duma (3) Rule buy decree when Duma not in session (4) Ministers staid responsible to tsar.