Russian Revolution

Russian Revolution (1905) A series of urban revolts, which triggered off extensive peasant unrest, a number of military mutinies, and discontent among non-Russian national groups. While defeat in the Russo-Japanese War had just demonstrated the weakness of the Tsarist state, the underlying cause for discontent in the urban areas was the discrepancy between rapid economic and social change due to industrialization on the one hand, and the continued denial of political rights in Tsarist Russia on the other. More immediately, the revolution itself was caused by the military's brutal response to a Sunday March by St Petersburg workers, who wanted to deliver a petition for better working conditions to the Tsar. Despite the moderation of the demands, many strikers were gunned down in what became known as Bloody Sunday (22 January 1905). Demonstrations followed in St Petersburg and other towns, and found a particular response in the non-Russian parts of the Empire. The Tsar himself was never really in danger, as he was still seen by most as a father figure who was unaware of the currupt and inefficient state administration below him, and of the conditions of his subjects. Nevertheless, he was forced to concede some political demands, in particular the establishment of a Duma. Meanwhile, the government brutally cracked down on the demonstrators, and re-established control by the end of 1905. Ensuing peasant revolts were suppressed with equal brutality (1906–7), though Stolypin's subsequent land reforms also did something to alleviate their grievances. The differences in the objectives and priorities of the various groups involved were a major reason for the essential failure of the revolution. Perhaps its most significant outcome was that among large sections of the population, the Tsar lost his image of the benevolent ruler, which was an important precondition for the 1917 Russian Revolutions.