The Russian Revolution of 1905
The Russian Revolution of 1905 was a period of social and political unrest that lasted for three years. It began with the Manifesto of Tsar Nicholas II, peasant unrest, and the lack of reforms. After a decade of stagnation, the population was ready for change, and the government reacted by introducing a series of reforms.
Manifesto of Tsar Nicholas II
In October 1905, Tsar Nicholas II reluctantly issued the Manifesto of Tsar Nicholas II, granting a plebiscite and an assembly of people's representatives. However, the Manifesto contained several problems. The Russians wanted a constitution, and Nicholas II was reluctant to implement even the most limited reforms.
After the October Manifesto was published, Nicholas relented on implementing further reforms. He and his advisors drafted a Manifesto on the Improvement of the State Order, which was endorsed by Nicholas and officially released on October 17th. While the Manifesto was not legally binding and had no constitutional effect, it was sufficient to satisfy the majority of Russians.
Peasant unrest
The Russian Revolution of 1905 was a revolution that sparked social unrest, largely as a result of social inequalities. While the tsarist regime had abolished serfdom in 1861, peasant communities remained divided, fostering unrest. The failure of land reforms compounded the peasant problems, leading many of them to rebel. At this point, Russia was largely comprised of poor farming peasants, and only a fraction of its population owned any land.
In October 1905, the October Manifesto was issued by Tsar Nicholas. It granted workers the right to vote but also restricted their rights. The Manifesto also stated that no law could go into effect without the approval of the Duma. While the moderate groups welcomed this move, socialists rejected the Manifesto as inadequate and began organizing new strikes. This disunity ultimately strengthened the tsar's position.
Tsarist autocracy
The Russian Revolution of 1905 was a violent revolution that overthrew the Tsarist autocracy and brought the Russian Empire into the First World War. It started out peacefully with protests and eventually developed into a violent conflict. The revolution took place in Petrograd, the second largest city in Russia, and it brought an end to almost 500 years of autocratic rule. Following the revolution, a Provisional Government was established to oversee the country's affairs.
The Russian Imperial Army was a formidable military force that was used to keep dissidents in check. It was rarely used in urban areas, but it was available whenever needed. Its military presence and censorship made it impossible for the people to criticize the government openly.
Lack of reforms
The Russian Revolution of 1905 was a period of economic and social unrest, which resulted in severe shortages of housing and food supplies. As a result, the new government embarked on a massive reorganization of the economy and social infrastructure. Meanwhile, the Russian Orthodox Church faced growing opposition, and its properties were confiscated.
During this turbulent period, the Union of Russian People (URP) emerged as the dominant reactionary group. It was founded in St. Petersburg in October 1905 and soon opened a branch in Moscow. It combined the demagogic ideology of the Soiuz russkikh liudei with the politics of the Monarchist Party. It also sought to protect Russian industry through an independent national currency and enlarge its provincial network.
Tsar's image tainted by revolution
The Tsar's image was tarnished by the events of 1905. A few days before the revolution, the Tsar ordered the resignation of the minister of interior Pyotr Sviatopolk-Mirskii. He appointed a government commission to investigate the causes of discontent among the workers in St Petersburg. The commission was led by Senator NV Shidlovsky and included the chiefs of state-owned factories and private factory owners. The commission was also supposed to include delegates elected by workers via a two-stage system.
The revolution sparked massive strikes across the Russian Empire. In 1905, over 2 million factory workers went on strike. The infamous Armenian-Tatar massacres severely damaged the Baku oilfields, and by December 1905, nearly half of the industrial workers in the Russian Empire went on strike.
Influence of reactionary groups
The influence of reactionary groups on the Russian revolution of 1905-06 was enormous. The Russo-Japanese War had shown the reactionary nature of Czarism and discontent had grown among all classes. Liberals began to openly express their dissatisfaction at banquets, Zemstvos sent in constitution petitions, and peasant revolts erupted across the country.
The revolution spread to non-Russian areas of the empire and was reinforced by nationalist movements. Pogroms were staged against Jews, and the armed forces joined the revolution. In June, the crew of the battleship Potemkin mutinied in Odessa.
