Why was there a revolution in 1905?

Introduction Context – Tsars had ruled through a strict autocracy for hundreds of years. The use of oppression had kept the public from being able to revolt. In 1905, there was an attempted revolution. Factors – Long term problems (Peasant discontent/Workers discontent/Mistakes of the Tsars), Russo – Japanese War, Bloody Sunday. Argument – All factors contributed – Long term problems were the substance of the revolution, RJ War fuelled discontent further, Bloody Sunday was the spark for revolution.

Peasant discontent Over time, peasants had grown angry about their treatment and conditions in Russia. Serfs emancipated (freed) in 1861 – Now allowed to own and farm their own land. (KU) Meant to gain support from the peasants and make lives better BUT they had to pay 49 year mortgages for the land they farmed which put them into poverty and made them angry at the Tsar. (A) Population was also increasing which led to land hunger (not enough land for all the people) which caused discontent towards Tsarist regime. (A)

Peasant discontent Peasants had to pay high taxes on goods – Eg vodka, machinery and fertiliser. (KU) This also made it difficult for them to make any money and kept them in poverty which made them angry with Tsar (A) Famines in Russia in 1890’s and 1901 (KU) Also makes peasants angry at Tsarist regime (A)

Evaluation Peasant discontent is important as they now aim their anger at the Tsar. Before 1905, they were kept uneducated and taught to be loyal to the Tsar through the Orthodox Church. Now, their conditions had become so bad that they started to blame the Tsarist state and therefore joined in the revolution in 1905.

Proletariat/Workers Discontent Russia industrialised under Sergei Witte in 1890s – Good financially for the country but put towns/cities under stress and made them more likely to erupt into revolution. Most workers were peasants who migrated to cities looking for work. (KU) Cities swamped with people – Overcrowding, poor living conditions, slums – 40% of population have no running water (KU) No trade unions to better conditions (KU) All of this leads to workers being angry about their conditions and they have no outlet to improve it, therefore over time they end up revolting (A) Alan Wood argues that these conditions created a situation ‘for the spread of mass discontent’ (A+ - Historiography)

Evaluation Industrialisation made money for Russia but the coming together of so many people in terrible conditions led to a class consciousness – This shared anger at their conditions was eventually aimed at the Tsar which led to many workers joining the revolution in 1905.

Mistakes of the Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II – Methods of both Tsars leads to discontent over time. Both of them relied to heavily on repression – Exile to Siberia, execution, using Cossack troops to stop any dissent. (KU) Over time, both peasants and workers started to become angry at the Tsars because of this reliance on repression and the lack of change/improvement in their living and working conditions (A+ - Linked to peasant and worker discontent) Orlando Figes – Tsars’ reluctance to introduce reforms to improve conditions turned a ‘political crisis’ into a ‘revolutionary crisis’ (A+ - Historiography)

Mistakes of the Tsars Russification – Policy of forcing Russian language and culture on minorities within the empire – Tsars have always been dependent on this (KU) This proves to be popular with some Russians, making them support the Tsar. However, it turns many minorities against him and makes them more likely to revolt (A+ - Showing counter arguments)

Mistakes of the Tsar Nicholas II relies to heavily on advice from poor advisors – Pobedonestev and Plehve – who advise him to go to war with Japan. (A+ - Linked to RJ war) Should have listened to advisors like Sergei Witte. Hite – Pobedonestev and Plehve are ‘unintentional destroyers of Tsarism’ (A+ - Historiography)

Evaluation Mistakes of the Tsars are crucial to the 1905 revolution. Their overdependence on repression and Russification without attempting to improve the conditions of the people leads to the population directing their anger towards him. Use one new piece of analysis here – Either overdependence of Russification or repressive tactics – Ie Don’t mention one of them in main body of paragraph.

Russo Japanese War Tsar goes to war with Japan over control of Korea – Advised by Pobedonestev and Plehve. (KU) Hope it would be a short victorious war which would gain support for the Tsar.

Defeats Russians defeated numerous times. Port Arthur – Besieged by Japan and Russia surrender after 157 days. (KU) Mukden – Feb 1905 – 90,000 casualties (KU) Navy defeated at Tsushima in less than an hour. (KU) Aug 1905 – Surrender Korea to Japan (KU) News of these defeats filter through Russia and lead to discontent throughout the country (A) Michael Lynch - Also showed the inefficiency of the Tsarist regime – Had opposite effect of what the Tsar hoped for. (A+ - Historiography)

Evaluation Russo Japanese war adds to the already growing discontent in Russia from the peasants and proletariat. Self inflicted nature of the war angers many – It is a distant land for most and they are not connected to it. Tsar appoints incompetent commanders and soldiers often lack basic equipment – Many people feel it was a waste of time and life.

Bloody Sunday Strikes and protests already springing up at start of 1905 – Eg Putilov Engineering strike. (KU) Father Gapon leads protest. He leads Union of Russian Factory Workers (a Tsarist-approved and pro-Tsar Union). (KU) January 1905 – Leads a peaceful procession to the Winter Palace to ask Tsar for more political say, improved working conditions for proletariat and an end to the war with Japan. (KU) Troops panic and open fire – 1000 casualties ad 200 dead. (KU)

Bloody Sunday analysis News of Bloody Sunday spreads around Russia – numbers of casualties are often exaggerated. Many people lose faith in the Tsar for this and blame him for the tragedy. (A) Sparks the revolution and half a million workers are on strike by end of January (A) At this time, Russia are fighting against Japan. People are already angry about this and see Bloody Sunday as the last straw which makes them revolt. (A+ - Linked to RJ war)

Evaluation Bloody Sunday by itself might not have sparked a revolution. However, it was a catalyst for the revolution of People were already angry and discontent had been boiling under the surface for a long time. It was Bloody Sunday that pushed many over the edge and made them start to revolt.

Conclusion All factors played a role in the revolution. The most important was the long term issues – peasant and worker discontent + mistakes of the Tsar. This caused discontent to bubble under the surface for years and all it took was something to set it off into revolution. Russo – Japanese war angered the Russian people further as many seen it as a pointless war. Bloody Sunday sparked the revolution as it was the final straw for many after suffering for years under Tsarist rule. Bloody Sunday made many lose faith in the Tsar and finally turn against him.