1. 1905 Russia’s First Revolution

2. Alexander III: Political Reaction, Empire, and Small Deeds
Decimation of The People’s Will, emergence of Social Democratic Party (Bolsheviks and Mensheviks)
Era of “small deeds” (Chekhov -- “Ward Number Six”)
Irony: Under repressive regime, Western-style civil society, industrialization, capitalism, public sphere start to emerge

3. Revolution in Artistic Form: Rise of Decadence, Symbolism
Great novels of 1870s replaced by small forms, poetry replaces prose
“Art for Art’s Sake” replaces social criticism
Influence of French decadence, Nietzsche

4. Nicholas II (1894-1917): The Last Autocrat
Incompetent rule from beginning: disastrous coronation celebration
Military defeat in Russo-Japanese War
Bloody Sunday, January 9, 1905, peaceful demonstration led by Father Gapon on Palace Square fired upon by Cossack Squadrons

5. Mariia Spiridonova

6. Questions for Discussion
A large a percentage of Russian revolutionary terrorists (anarchists and SRs) were women. Based on your reading of this chapter, what advantages did female terrorists possess? What disadvantages?
Voloshin’s poems and non-literary writings inspired by the Spiridonova reflect Russians’ the multiple and ambivalent attitudes toward revolutionary terrorism in What were these attitudes?