...in 1904 to 1905 and began because of both Russia and Japans desire to expand their borders into places such as Korea. During this war, Russia was humiliated and had many defeats from a country which were considered to be inferior. The defeat of this war humiliated the people of Russia and therefore lost confidence in Nicholas II. Russia’s defeat in the war also caused problems in the Military, economic and political problems. This then means that the Russo-Japanese war was partly responsible for the 1905 revolution. The Russo-Japanese war created many huge military defeats which showed the Russian people how weak the military were which therefore caused national humiliation. With the people of Russia humiliated, they began the 1905 Revolution. An example of one of the most humiliating Russian defeats during the war was the Battle of Tsushima in May of 1905. The Russians sent 35 battleships from northern Europe to Japan. As the north of Russia was frozen over, the Russian fleet was forced to go past Africa and of an 8 month journey. When the Russian fleet finally arrived, they were overwhelmed and lost 25 of their initial 35 ships. The decisions made during this period lead to the military losing loyalty in the Tsar, for example, the strikes in Odessa. All of these problems and the fact the huge empire of Russia lose to a country that many had never heard of made Russians very humiliated. However, many argue that this did not cause the outbreak of the revolution, but only adding...
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...The 1905 Revolution in Russia took place under the reign of Nicholas II and was caused by a range of long and short term factors, some of which had a greater impact than others. Reformist groups did have an effect in Russia; however it is debatable whether they were the main cause of the revolution, or whether they were a contributing factor along with other factors such as peasants, the middle class, the urban proletariat and the army/navy. The reformist groups operating in Russia from the years 1881 were the Social Revolutionaries, Social Democrats, Populists and the Liberals (split into the Octoberists and the Kadets). Each of the reformist groups were acting in response to the continuous repressive Tsarist system in which they did not have the right to meet and operate , and were monitored by the Okhrana prior to 1905, however, some parties acted more radically than others. The Social Revolutionaries had the main aim of redistributing land to the peasants. In 1896, they formed the Union of Social Revolutionaries and murdered over 2000 aristocrats and ministers (including the assassination of Minister of the Interior Plehve in 1904) and were supported by the Peasantry. The Social Democrats were a Marxists party which organised strikes in St.Petersburg, in 1900 founded a newspaper called ‘Iskra’ (the Spark), but the two sides of the party meant that they split into the Bolsheviks led by Lenin and the Mensheviks led by Martov in 1903. This split made it difficult for the party...
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...The reasons behind the 1905 Russian Revolution were multifaceted, varying in proximity. Long-term causes included the difficulties in ruling Russia, where vast size, climate and economy combined with a system of autocracy proved factors to the discontent of society. Personal limitations of Tsar Nicholas II destined his leadership to fail, no determination or desire inside his intentions, as growing hatred of the Tsar heightened for a lack of political representation plagued civilian’s lives. Short-term effects include the impact of the Russo-Japanese War and the impact of Bloody Sunday, eroding Nicholas’s reputation to that of a power hungry sadist. The Mutiny of the Black Sea Fleet presented disquiet within the military, concern for an inability of security forces to cope with pressure surging the need for revolution. The spectre of revolt was ever present. An extensive contribution to the 1905 Revolution can be uncovered through the difficulties in ruling Russia. A home to 125 million people, the Russian Empire consisted of nearly 23 million square kilometres, with only 5% of this area useable for agricultural purposes. This affected Russia’s industry and farming immensely, featuring shortages of food, living space and quality of living for victims of such conditions. A lack of nationalism lingered, as more than half the population consisted of Poles and Ukraine’s, creating barriers in language and traditions. This resulted in a vast difference of religion, and therefor stripped...
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...Anna Stanley To what extent was the Russo Japanese War the cause of the 1905 Revolution? Russia was in an extremely delicate state before the 1905 Revolution. There were many causes behind leaving Russia’s population increasingly alienated, provoked, and feeling let down by the Tsar. .. ..The Tsars plan to use a successful war in the far East as an opportunity to divert peoples attention from the deteriorating conditions back home hopelessly backfired. There was mass humiliation in defeat and the Russo Japanese war irrevocably revealed the inefficiency, weakness and corruption of the Tsarist state. ..However, the Russo Japanese War wasn’t entirely to blame for the 1905 revolution. Nevertheless, there was a great impact caused by the Army’s embarrassing mistakes. ..The army highly underestimated the capability of the Japanese. Firstly, the Army lost the battle of Mukden, One of the largest land battles to be fought before WW1. Russian casualties amounted to nearly 90,000. The Russians had also lost most of their combat supplies as well as most of their artillery and heavy machine guns. ..The Russian Army was also defeated in the battle of Tsushima...
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...Groups from 1881 were undoubtably a contributor toward the 1905 revolution but it can be argued on whether they were the main cause. The SRs were probably the biggest group fuelling the 1905 revolution. The social revolutionaries were radical in their ideology, they believed that all land should be taken from the rich and given to the peasants along with completely getting rid of the Tsar. The SR's took radical action to achieve their goals such as assassinating the Tsars uncle grand Duke sergei. The SRs would be one of the main causes of the 1905 revolution as they had such a broad appeal, which certainly made them attractive amongst the uneducated masses, whom are the peasants and the peasants were desperate for change. Peasants would want reform one way or another due to their poor standards of life. although Witte reforms seemed to be the best course of action for Russia, in the long term it was not. Witte increased tax on peasants to feel industrialisation which would have obviously increased peasants will for change since they had no money as it is. Workers in the cities will also feeling the aftermath of Wittes reforms, the economy started to slow down in the late 19th century which led to the workers real incomes falling by 20% which meant that imported goods or necessities couldn't be easily purchased when the price increased Since the workers had such bad living and working conditions on the 22nd of January a priest Father Gapon gathered 150,000 people for...
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...learn the lessons of the 1905 Revolution by Professor Peter Waldron. University of Sunderland new perspective. Volume 6. Number 3. March 2001 Summary: The Tsarist government received a severe jolt from the 1905 Revolution and, in order to relieve discontent, soon instituted reforms, including the creation of an elected Duma. From 1906 Stolypin proposed fundamental reforms, especially of the agricultural system, which would ensure that the population had no reason to rebel. But his programme was not implemented, partly because the Duma was an inefficient instrument for the passage of government legislation, and partly because the regime, now that law and order had been restablished, had not the will to overcome opposition from the nobility and the Church. Reform, not revolution, seemed the problem. As a result, the regime failed to learn the lessons of 1905 and collapsed in 1917. Questions to consider How far-reaching were the reforms prompted by the disturbances of 1905? How did Stolypin intend to stabilise the Tsarist regime? Why did Stolypin’s reform strategy fail? Why may he have been assassinated by enemies on the Right? In what ways did the failure of reforms after 1905 pave the way for the revolution of 1917? During 1905, Imperial Russia was beset by revolution. Across the empire, peasants rose in rebellion so that troops had to be called to put down more than 3,000 separate instances of rural revolt. In the towns and cities of Russia, workers came out on strike...
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...Why did the 1905 revolution fail? One of the main reasons that the 1905 revolution failed was because the October Manifesto merely only satisfied the middle classes’ appetite for reform. However this was only a short term change in government therefore it was not really a revolution because the changes were not permanent. To add, the readiness of the liberals to accept the government’s political and economical bribes indicted that they were not genuinely ready for a revolution at this time. Furthermore the duma did not have as much power as the tsar portrayed them to have. They were not able to pass laws and did not have any control on the state’s finance. To add, another reason why the 1905 revolution failed was because after the strong opposition shown by the first two Dumas, the tsar took away the vote from the people who wanted more change and also opposed the tsar. As a result of this, the electoral system was weighed in favour of the wealthy and those who supported the tsar. The tsar made a conscious decision to make sure that the third and fourth dumas were less openly obstructive and supportive of the tsar as they were keen to project an image of Russia as a democratic nation. This show’s why the 1905 revolution failed because the October Manifesto was not effective enough to cause an effective revolution Another main reason why the 1905 revolution failed was because of the Tsarist Government. They were highly effective in dispersing the revolution, whilst still...
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...throughout Russia in t he 19th century. The beginning step towards a liberalized society, there were many reasons behind the emancipation and the progression of Russia, largely among these is war. The loss of the Russo Japanese war was a considerable loss for Russia, a country typically seen as powerful. The loss of the war challenged the old Russia, therefor change had to occur. The loss of the war demonstrated how far behind Russia was in comparison to the rest of Europe. As most war supplies came from the work of the Serfs, it made sense to free them and further increase the effectiveness of Russia’s army. Soldiers were allocated to suppress protesting Serfs,...
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...The Bolshevik Revolution At the turn of the 20th century, Russia was a vast empire. The country spanned across the entire northern half of Asia, from the Pacific coast in the east, and into Western Europe. Tsar Nicholas II ruled the country as it had been ruled by his family for centuries before. The strict feudal traditions were upheld with brutality; Tsarist policies prolonged the agony of the lower classes and supported the opulence of the royal family. In the early 1900s, the poor social and economic conditions coincided with the spread and increased study of Karl Marx’s communist philosophy. The Russian people, determined to establish a new government, initiated a chain of events that climaxed with the Bolshevik Revolution in October 1917. The Bolshevik Revolution transformed Eastern Europe and Asia and had a significant impact on the entire world throughout the twentieth century. The fallout of the Bolshevik Revolution still impacts Russia and the rest of the world today. There was no singular cause or event that sparked the Bolsheviks to take to arms in 1917, instead the action resulted from the culmination of a history of social, political, and economic issues. Prior to the Bolsheviks’ rise to power in October 1917, there were two Revolutions that set the stage for the Soviet takeover. The First was the revolution of 1905. This revolution resulted in Russia transitioning from a strict feudal system to a constitutional monarchy; the power of the Tsar was limited...
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...known popularly as ‘optimistic’ historians believe that Russia between 1905 and 1917 was on the road to follow a western path of modernization and liberalization. And even creating a constitution had it not been for the war, which in their opinion created problems for the regime and led to its eventual downfall. On the other side of the coin, there are the ‘pessimistic’ historians who argue that the First World War was simply a catalyst or a speeding up of events that were inevitable, and unavoidable in the long run as there were severe socio-economic grievances that were being harbored since the 1905 revolution. The optimistic view agrees entirely that the First World War to a large extent was culpable to the fall of Tsarism, the reason behind this argument is that before WW1 was to start Russia was stable and significantly moving towards political reform and then from there eventually to a constitutional monarchy, this is backed by the October Manifesto of 1905 which gave the population a voting and electoral process to set up the State Duma, however this reform was almost cancelled out by the advent of the Fundamental Laws in 1906. The Fundamental Laws were in actuality a regain of any and every control back to the government of the Tsar which was granted previously. Here we discuss another important factor other than the war involving the collapse of the Tsarist regime, and that was Nicholas II’s personality. In 1905 the Tsar had capable and trusted ministers who advised...
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...How Accurate Is It To Say That The Growth of Reformist Groups In The Years From 1881 Was The Main Cause Of The 1905 Revolution? I do not think that it is very accurate to say that the activity of reformist groups was the main reason for the 1905 revolution since there were only two parties really mentioned, and they were mostly threats with no action. More prominent causes were social economic and political preconditions, the Russo-Japanese war and Bloody Sunday. The most important cause of the 1905 revolution were the preconditions, especially social and economic ones. The vast majority of the Russian population were peasants living in extreme poverty, especially industry and agriculture workers, even though the economy was thriving, apart from the agricultural side of it. The Russian population was growing rapidly and there was no space for them all too live and cities like Moscow and St Petersburg were full of slums. There was not enough food to harvest, leading to famines in 1892, 1898 and 1901. Conditions like this led to the trigger conditions that set off revolutionary activities like Bloody Sunday, and other strikes and protests. The second most important cause of the 1905 revolution was Bloody Sunday which happened on the 9th January 1905, according to the Russian calendar. It had started off as a peaceful demonstration led by a priest named Father Gapon. Suddenly the Russian army units opened fire on an unarmed group of protesters marching on St Petersburg’s Winter...
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...In 1905 Tsar Nicholas II has faced a revolution in 1905 which was caused by the growth of reformist groups, however also other factors such as weak Tsarist regime of repression, Tsar's leadership, poor conditions and Bloody Sunday contributed towards the breakout of 1905 revolution. The growth of opposition is considered to be a significant factor contributing towards the 1905 Revolution because they were developing the desire for moderation which was to be achieved by a revolution. The assassination of Alexander II by people's will, had the consequences of inspiring other opposition groups to form such as Social Revolutionaries and Social Democrats, however the assassination was also the factor deciding upon ruling by repression under Alexander II followers. However lack of freedoms, russification, Ohkrana and heavy taxation all encouraged the opposition groups to form even at a faster rate as the public dissatisfaction was rising. By 1905, those groups were targeting different aspects of society from peasants to workers who formed 80% of the total population. This wide spread of ideas opposing Tsarist rule could be therefore responsible for the 1905 revolution however it has to be underlined that 1905 revolution has started with strikes organised by workers which would mean that there may have been a significant growth in opposition groups however 1905 revolution took place despite them rather than because of them. Additionally, the poor conditions created by great spurt...
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...How far were the divisions among its opponents responsible for the survival of tsarist rule in the years 1881-1905? (30 marks) Around Europe the world’s great powers were developing, both economically and socially through the benefits of industrialisation, except that was for Russia, who was now the most economically backward. The climate for change was surrounding its empire. The people of the empire were ready for a revolution yet Russia’s tsarist rule managed to survived from 1881-1905 under the rule of Alexander III who ruled from 1881-1894 and his son Nikolas II who ruled 1894-1905. Tsarist rule in Russia had its many opponents from the larger radical parties such as the Social Democrats and the Social Revolutionaries, however some argue that it was the divides in these groups and society as a whole that had delayed the revolution whilst others believe it was the result of external factors that allowed the tsarist regime to continue through the animosity it faced. A major divide in the opponents of tsarist rule was class. The divide in personal wealth was larger in Russia than in any other world super power. With the landed classes obtaining most of the wealth and the peasantry and former surfs who made up 80 % of the population however barely getting by, this economic divide caused a major divide in society. The educated classes apposed the tsarist regime due the fact it halted their position in society not allowing them to move up and benefited only the landed classes...
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...Bolshevik revolution in November of 1917. Given the nature of Russian society, was the Bolshevik revolution unavoidable? Among the changes Russian society had undergone, one starts off the whole chain of events. This was the emancipation of the serfs, in 1861, by Czar Alexander. The emancipation freed 44 million peasants. The Czar knew that the only way to end the discontent of the serfs and to show that Russia too was a modern society would be to let them free. The Edict of Emancipation caused many problems these uneducated peasants. The land now assigned to them was smaller then the plots they were using as serfs. This was an average of 8 acres. There was also a forty-nine year period over which installments could be paid before the peasants were given full ownership of the land. In fact many peasants were still working for their landlords after the edict. Because of his efforts Alexander was nicknamed "the liberator". Despite giving the serfs their freedom, Alexander's actions cause more problems then they solved. After the unification of Germany between 1861 and 1891, which accelerated it's military and political power, Russia too felt it should industrialize. A man named Sergei Witte, who was Minister of Finance from 1892-1903, almost single-handedly pushed Russia into its industrialization. He knew that Russia needed something to start her on the road to industrialization. Witte's efforts made industrial advances from 1892 to 1910. Between 1880 and 1914, Russia had a growth...
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...What were the causes of the 1905 Revolution? Why did the Revolution fail to overthrow the Tsarist Regime? The Revolution of 1905 was the first time the Tsar had faced open opposition from so many groups in Russian society at the same time. It involved peasant disturbances, strikes, naval mutinies, nationalist uprisings and assassinations. This essay aims to examine the different causes of the Revolution of 1905. Short and long-term causes will be considered, and economic, political, military and social factors will be discussed. The essay will also explain why the Revolution ultimately failed to overthrow the Tsarist regime. A long-term social and economic cause of the 1905 Revolution was the continuing dissatisfaction of both peasants and landowners to the Emancipation Edict of 1861. Although this piece of legislation had brought an end to serfdom, peasants still remained tied to the village commune (mir) and were angry at the redemption payments they were expected to pay in return for the land they had received. They believed more, and better quality, land should have been given to them at no cost. Their anger was made evident during the peasant disturbances of 1902. The landowners were also unhappy with the terms of emancipation. They lost the free labour of their serfs and a large amount of land. As a result many were facing huge debts by 1905. Another long-term cause of the 1905 Revolution was the general disappointment with which many Russian people viewed the...
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