The 1905 Revolution

The 1905 Revolution was the first major challenge to the authority of the Tsar. Although it ultimately failed to overthrow the autocracy, it forced Nicholas II to make significant concessions and exposed the deep weaknesses of the Tsarist system. This lesson covers the causes, events, and consequences of the 1905 Revolution for AQA GCSE History.

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Causes of the 1905 Revolution

The revolution was caused by a combination of long-term and short-term factors.

Long-Term Causes

Cause	Detail
Autocracy	Nicholas II refused to allow political reform; there was no parliament, no free press, and no legal political parties
Poverty	Peasants suffered from land hunger and low living standards; industrial workers endured appalling conditions
National minorities	Non-Russian peoples (Poles, Finns, Ukrainians, and others) resented Russification — the policy of imposing Russian language and culture
Opposition groups	The SRs, SDs, Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, and liberals were all demanding change
Industrialisation	Rapid industrial growth created a large, discontented working class concentrated in cities like St Petersburg and Moscow

Short-Term Causes

Cause	Detail
Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905)	Russia went to war with Japan over control of Manchuria and Korea; the war was a humiliating disaster — the Russian fleet was destroyed at the Battle of Tsushima (May 1905), and the army suffered repeated defeats
Economic depression	An economic downturn in 1900–1903 led to unemployment, wage cuts, and hunger
Bloody Sunday (22 January 1905)	The immediate trigger for the revolution

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Bloody Sunday (22 January 1905)

On 22 January 1905 (9 January in the old Russian calendar), a peaceful march of approximately 200,000 workers and their families marched to the Winter Palace in St Petersburg to present a petition to the Tsar.

The Petition

The march was led by Father Georgy Gapon, an Orthodox priest. The petition asked for:

• An 8-hour working day.
• Better wages and working conditions.
• An elected parliament (Duma).
• An end to the Russo-Japanese War.

The marchers carried icons and portraits of the Tsar — they were loyal subjects asking their "Little Father" for help.

The Massacre

• The Tsar was not in the palace — he was at his country estate.
• Troops opened fire on the unarmed crowd.
• An estimated 100–200 people were killed and 800 wounded (official figures were much lower, but they were widely disbelieved).
• The event shattered the people's faith in the Tsar as a benevolent ruler.

Exam Tip: Bloody Sunday is the most important event of the 1905 Revolution. It destroyed the idea that the Tsar cared for his people and turned widespread discontent into open revolution. Make sure you can explain both its causes and its consequences.

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Events of the 1905 Revolution

After Bloody Sunday, unrest spread rapidly across the Russian Empire.

Date	Event	Detail
January–October 1905	Strikes	Over 400,000 workers went on strike in January alone; by October, a general strike paralysed the country
June 1905	Potemkin Mutiny	Sailors on the battleship Potemkin mutinied, killing their officers; the mutiny showed that even the military was unreliable
Summer 1905	Peasant uprisings	Peasants seized land, burned manor houses, and attacked landlords across the countryside
October 1905	St Petersburg Soviet	Workers in St Petersburg formed a soviet (council) to coordinate strikes and represent workers; its leader was Leon Trotsky
October 1905	General Strike	A nationwide general strike brought Russia to a standstill; railways, factories, and shops all closed

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The October Manifesto (1905)

Faced with revolution, Nicholas II was forced to make concessions. On 30 October 1905 (17 October, old calendar), he issued the October Manifesto, drafted by his adviser Sergei Witte.

Promise	Detail
Civil liberties	Freedom of speech, press, and assembly
Elected parliament	A Duma (parliament) would be created with genuine legislative power
Wider suffrage	The right to vote would be extended
No law without Duma approval	Laws would require the consent of the Duma

Impact

• The October Manifesto split the opposition.
• Liberals (Kadets and Octobrists) accepted it as a major step forward and stopped protesting.
• Revolutionaries (Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, SRs) rejected it as insufficient and continued to demand the overthrow of the Tsar.
• With the opposition divided, the Tsar was able to regain control.

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The Tsar Regains Control

Once the liberals had been won over, the Tsar used force to crush the remaining opposition.

Action	Detail
Army loyalty	Most of the army remained loyal to the Tsar; troops returning from Japan helped suppress the revolution
Crushing the Moscow uprising	In December 1905, the army crushed an armed uprising in Moscow, killing over 1,000 people
Arresting revolutionaries	The St Petersburg Soviet was shut down; Trotsky was arrested
Punitive expeditions	The army was sent to crush peasant uprisings in the countryside; thousands were executed or exiled to Siberia

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The Dumas (1906–1914)

Nicholas II created the Duma as promised, but then systematically undermined it.

Duma	Dates	What Happened
First Duma	April–July 1906	Dominated by liberals who demanded land reform; the Tsar dissolved it after just 73 days
Second Duma	February–June 1907	More radical; dissolved after 102 days
Third Duma	1907–1912	Electoral rules changed to favour wealthy voters; much more conservative and cooperative; served its full term
Fourth Duma	1912–1917	Similar to the Third; increasingly critical of the government as war approached

The Fundamental Laws (1906)

Before the First Duma met, Nicholas issued the Fundamental Laws, which severely limited the Duma's power:

• The Tsar retained the right to dissolve the Duma at any time.
• The Tsar could rule by decree when the Duma was not in session.
• The Tsar controlled foreign policy, the military, and the appointment of ministers.
• A second chamber, the State Council (half appointed by the Tsar), could veto the Duma's legislation.

Exam Tip: The Dumas are important for evaluating whether Russia became more democratic after 1905. The key argument is that the Tsar made the minimum concessions necessary to survive the revolution and then clawed back as much power as possible. Russia remained an autocracy in all but name.

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Stolypin's Reforms

Pyotr Stolypin served as Prime Minister from 1906 to 1911. He combined repression with reform.

Repression	Reform
Used military courts to execute revolutionaries; over 3,000 were hanged (the hangman's noose was called "Stolypin's necktie")	Introduced land reforms to create a class of prosperous peasant farmers (kulaks) who would support the Tsar
Crushed strikes and banned trade unions	Allowed peasants to leave the commune and consolidate their land into private farms
Exiled political opponents to Siberia	Encouraged migration to Siberia to reduce land pressure in European Russia

Stolypin was assassinated in 1911. His reforms were only partially successful — by 1914, only about 10% of peasants had consolidated their land.

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Worked Q7 Paragraph: "The 1905 Revolution failed primarily because the Tsar divided the opposition." How far do you agree?