- Peasant conditions: Most Russians were peasants living in poverty. They wanted more land and lower taxes, and were frustrated by redemption payments left over from serfdom.
- Industrial workers: Russia’s cities grew fast, but workers faced long hours, low pay, and unsafe factories. Strikes and protests increased before 1905.
- Social unrest: Different groups wanted change. Peasants wanted land, workers wanted better conditions, liberals wanted a constitution, and national minorities wanted more freedom.
- Political repression: Nicholas II ruled as an autocrat, refusing real reform. Opposition groups like socialists and liberals were censored and targeted by the secret police.
- Russo-Japanese War (1904–05): Russia lost badly to Japan. This was humiliating, damaged the tsar’s reputation, and caused shortages and economic problems at home.
- Bloody Sunday (January 1905): Peaceful protesters led by Father Gapon marched in St Petersburg asking for reforms. Troops fired on the crowd, killing hundreds. This destroyed trust in the tsar.
- Spread of revolution: Strikes, protests, and mutinies broke out across Russia. The Trans-Siberian Railway was disrupted, and Nicholas struggled to keep control.
- October Manifesto (1905): To calm unrest, Nicholas promised civil rights and a parliament (Duma). Many liberals were satisfied, but radicals and workers were not.
- Stolypin’s reforms: As prime minister, Stolypin introduced land reforms to help peasants become independent farmers. He also used harsh repression (hangings and arrests) to crush opposition.
- The Dumas: Four Dumas met between 1906 and 1917, but their power was very limited. Nicholas dissolved them when they opposed him, showing he would not share real power.
Common Mistake
- Treating 1905 as a “failed revolution”: While it did not overthrow the tsar, it weakened his authority and forced him to make concessions.
- Overlooking the war: Students sometimes forget how the Russo-Japanese War triggered unrest by humiliating Russia and worsening conditions at home.
Exam technique
- Use categories for causes: Organize essays into social, economic, and political causes, plus the Russo-Japanese War as a trigger.
- Don’t stop at 1905: Show how the revolution’s consequences (Manifesto, Stolypin, Dumas) shaped Russia up to 1917.
Self review
- Evaluate the relative importance of social, economic, and military factors in causing the 1905 Revolution.
- To what extent did the 1905 Revolution change the nature of tsarist rule?
- Assess the successes and failures of Stolypin’s policies after 1905.
