1905

1. 1905 • Industrial depression had begun in 1900 • Extreme hardship • Ignited series of strikes • War with Japan (1904) • Over control of territory in Far East • Russia defeated in every battle, land and sea • Had disastrous impact on morale • Increased discontent of peasants and workers • Demands mounted for establishment of legislative assembly and civil rights

2. BLOODY SUNDAY • January 22, 1905 • Workers demonstrate peacefully in front of Winter Palace for moderate reforms • Organized by Father Gapon • Guards fire on demonstrators, killing or wounding hundreds • Shatters the ideal that a sacred bond existed between the people and paternalistic tsar who would look after their welfare • Formerly loyal workers join socialists and other revolutionary groups • Kadets and liberals stunned by event and began to cooperate with revolutionaries

3. THE REVOLUTION ESCALATES • Anti-tsarist revolution becomes broad social movement • Includes workers, peasants, national minorities, bourgeois intellectuals, and even members of armed forces • Sailors on battleship Potemkin mutiny in June 1905 and kill officers • Other ships in Black Sea fleet refuse to fire on Potemkin and it eventually finds refuge in Rumania

4. OCTOBER MANIFESTO • Nicholas announced creation of elective Duma (representative assembly) in August 1905 • Revolution continues with general strike erupting from October 20-30 • Nicholas responds with further concessions—the October Manifesto • Duma given legislative power • Guarantees civil rights for all—including freedom of press, speech, and assembly • Wins over liberals, but not radicals • Opposition now split and revolution loses momentum • Still loyal troops used to put down remaining demonstrations

5. DEPRESSING AFTERMATH • Once danger was past, Nicholas avoided relinquishing any power • Limited power of Duma • Issued list of “fundamental laws” that the Duman could not change • Announced that tsar could dissolve Duma at any time and call for new elections • Announced tsar had sole authority over foreign and military policy, the succession to the throne, ministerial appointments, pardons, and court affairs • Finance minister would be solely responsible for currency issues and foreign loans • Tsar’s Council of State transformed into upper house with equal power to the Duma • Restrictions and qualifications placed on freedoms of speech and press • Duma dissolved twice between 1905 and 1907 until tsar got docile body he wanted

6. PETER STOLYPIN • Minister of Interior, 1907-1911 • Encouraged peasants to consolidate their scattered strips of land into unified plots on the American model • Goal was to encourage improved farming methods and greater productivity and create prosperous (and conservative) peasantry • Plan implemented slowly due to bureaucratic foot-dragging • By 1915 only ten percent of peasant property had been consolidated • Stolypin assassinated in 1911, thereby ending momentum of his program • Reforms did have some positive impact

7. RASPUTIN • Quality of imperial leadership dramatically declined between 1905-1914 due to the rise of Rasputin • Wandering monk from Siberia who claimed to be a “holy man” • Filthy, barely literate, cruel, and utterly depraved • Tsarina Alexandra worshipped him as reincarnated Jesus because of his ability to stop bleeding of hemophiliac son, Alexis

8. RASPUTIN’S INFLUENCE • Rasputin gained powerful hold over the tsar and entire government • Asked his opinion on policy • Recommended people for important government jobs • Influenced promotions’ • Had people fired • Recommendations never based on qualifications • Always the result of bribes, sexual favors, and flattery • Extraordinarily incompetent individuals gained important jobs as a result of his influence • No one dare complain about his behavior because they would be fired on the spot

9. WORLD WAR I • Erupted on August 1, 1914 • Russia fought on Allied side • With France and Great Britain • Against Central Powers • Germany, Austrian Empire, and Ottoman Empire • No country understood unprecedented destruction that war would cause • But Russia was the most ill-prepared of all

10. 1914: DISASTER • Russian invades eastern Germany at start of war • Germany forced to pull several divisions out of France to met Russian threat • Germany defeats Russians at Battle of Tanneburg • Russia invades Austrian Poland • Germany helps defeated Austrians push Russians out and back into Russia • Eastern Front then stabilizes • 1914 very costly for Russia • 4 million casualties and replacements were poorly trained • Russia also began to run out of weapons and ammunition

11. HOME FRONT • Initial outbreak of war had united Russians • Except Bolsheviks • Then cost of war became clear • Huge casualties • Food shortages in urban centers • Stories of officer brutality • Rumors of men being sent on suicide charges without weapons • Stories of officers selling scarce supplies on black market • Stories of government corruption and incompetence • Ominous rumors of soldiers killing their officers and deserting Bread line

12. FROM BAD TO WORSE • Nicholas takes personal command of Russian army in 1916 • Leaves civilian government in hands of wife Alexandra and Rasputin • Rasputin murdered in December 1916 by nephew of tsar • Too late • Most Russians now believe that tsar was hopelessly incompetent • Rumors of palace coup to put someone else on the throne

13. FEBRUARY 1917 REVOLUTION • Caused by severe food shortages in major cities • Riots break out on February 23-26 in Petrograd over food and coal shortages • Workers strike to protest rising prices • Students demand tsar’s abdication • Nicholas sends in troops to crush demonstrations • Soldiers mutiny and join in • President of Duma notifies Nicholas that only the creation of a responsible government will resolve crisis • Nicholas orders Duma to disband • Duma stays in session

14. CREATION OF PETROGRAD SOVIET • Workers spontaneously set up Petrograd Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies • Made up of representatives from mutinous army regiments and striking workers • Appeals on February 28 to people to remain calm and demands election of a constitutional convention to create a democratic government • Soviet has great deal of power because it had wholehearted support of workers and soldiers in capital • Saw its role at this time as safeguarding interests of common people and looked to Duma to form new national government

15. THE END OF ROMANOV DYNASTY • Nicholas orders more troops into Petrograd • They mutiny too • Nicholas tried to return in person to Petrograd • Railroad workers, under orders of Petrograd Soviet, refuse to move his train • Nicholas finally abdicates in favor of his younger brother Michael • Michael turns offer down • Romanov Dynasty finished