CAUSES OF THE 1905 REVOLUTION

National Minorities

e.g Finns, Poles, Jews, had long term discontent

They wanted more independence and autonomy

They called for an end to the policy of Russification

Alienated Intelligentsia

Revolutionaries

Russo-Japanese War

Government Policy

Witte's economic policy

Middle class liberals wanted to partake in government and have a voice in how the country would be governed

Students protested against repressive government control

They wanted some form of elected national assembly instead of the Tsar deciding everything

Tsarist Regime

Repressive government

Nicholas II very conservative having been influenced by his reactionary father. He would not consider any reforms or steps towards any form of constitutional monarchy

The people were denied basic freedoms such as freedom of press, freedom to form political parties or have trade unions.

Any opposition to the regime was dealt with quickly by the Okhrana, such as Lenin's brother who was executed for participating in underground political activities.

Under Witte's industrialisation policy, urban workers and peasants faced low wages and high taxes

Poor harvests in 1900 and 1902 lead to food shortages and starvation

Economic decline after 1902 led to high levels of unemployment and social tension in towns

Peasants and workers

Socialist revolutionaries

Social democrats

Peasants

Suffered periodic famines

Increasing peasant population was putting more pressure on land

Their grievances included high taxes, redemption payments on land and need for more land.

Workers

Long hours, low pay and terrible working and living conditions lead to discontent among factory workers and caused multiple strikes throughout 1905

Defeats at land and at sea shocked the Russian people and meant they perceived the Tsar's government as incompetent

January 1905 - lost Port Arthur

Bloody Sunday

Weak, indecisive Tsar

The war caused shortages of food and fuel, high prices and unemployment

Sunday 22nd January 1905, the Tsar's troops fired on peaceful demonstrators at the Winter palace.

Lead by the radical priest Gregory Gapon

This caused the breakout of strikes and riots across the country in protest to the Tsarist regime.

wanted peasant revolution to create socialism based around peasant communes

wanted urban working classes to stage a revolution to create a socialist state then communism

Consequences