: How did the Tsar survive the 1905 revolution? TEACHER COPY
Event
Bloody Sunday
1905- What was
the response?
How did this help the Tsar survive the 1905 revolution?
Although the Tsar had lost his image of the ‘ Father of the Nation’ due to the killing of over 200 innocent people
and further wounding another 800. This lead to riot and despair. Strikes were set up and it looked like every one
was against the Tsar. However it was clear the people of Russia were not ready for revolution and lacked
confidence. Although several parties were against the Tsar, there was no real co-ordination or organisation.
Strikes were easily broken up, as there was often a lack of understanding. For example the Liberals1 backed
away from revolution at this point.
How did the
government deal
with the
Revolutionary
parties?
FACTOR 1
How did the tsar
deal with the
industrial
workers? (This
group posed a
serious threat to
the Tsar)
FACTOR 2
A key factor in the survival of the Tsar was the way in which he dealt with the Revolutionary parties. Hardly any
of the revolutionaries were in Moscow or St Petersburg when the revolution started. The SR’s 2were satisfied in
the short- term after the Tsar bought them off with the promise to reduce and then abolish redemption
payments3. This meant the Tsar effectively put a stop to the unrest and arson attacks in the countryside and
revolutionary activity began to quieten down in the countryside. It is also important to consider that the
peasantry made up nearly 80% of the Russian society.
A key factor in the survival of the Tsar was the fact that the Industrial workers were also crushed by the Army in
support of the Tsar. This was an important factor in how the Tsar survived the 1905 revolution. As without the
support of the army the Tsar would have been forced to back down. Some resistance had been displayed such
as the mutiny aboard the Prince Potemkin4 where the crew revolted. However on the whole the army remained
loyal to the Tsar and this suggests the armed forces were not yet ready for a revolution. The Tsar also won over
the army by giving soldiers back pay and promising improved conditions of work suggesting that this group was
not really ready for revolution.
The General Strike5 organised by the Industrial Workers posed the greatest threat to the Tsar as Russia came to
a stand still. Railways, telegraph, telephone, gas, electricity and post offices all ceased to work. At this point and
in this atmosphere 6Soviets had been set up in St Petersburg and Moscow. The response of the Tsar was to use
1
Liberals in 1905 this group split into Moderate Octobrists and the Kadets (KD) Kadet leader Pavel Milyukov Octobrist Leader Guchkov and Rodzianko. Tactics included
legal means propaganda, leaflets, and discussions. Supported Nicholas during 1905 by agreeing and being appeased y the creation of the Duma. Formed the largest group in
the Duma.
2
Social Revolutionaries: leader Victor Chernov. Made up of 50%working class. Used strikes propaganda and political assassinations including Stolypin, split over methods
3
Lynch p48
4
Lynch p48
5
Lynch p48, 49
6
Soviet-Russian word for council this represents the workers demands
the Army to put down the Soviets by burning them down like in Moscow and the 5-day siege of the St Petersburg
Soviet. The leader of the St Petersburg Soviet Trotsky was arrested and the revolutionary group lost its main
figurehead. Many other leaders of revolutionary executed and general strikes and unrest died down. The Tsar
was using suppression first and then reform later Stolypin was effective and decisive in dealing with the
revolutionaries and industrial strikes. This also highlights once again that the Tsar still maintained the support of
the police and the Army essential for maintaining autocracy and him surviving the events of 1905.
Event
The October
Manifesto and the
Fundamental
Laws.
FACTOR 3
The Tsar
remained in
control
7
How did this help the Tsar survive the 1905 revolution?
The October Manifesto led to the 8split of the revolutionary parties like the Liberals into the Kadets and the
Octoberists. Thus showing the lack of co-ordination and instability in the revolutionary groups was a key reason
why the Tsar was able to maintain power and survive the 1905 Revolution. The Octoberists were bought of with
the promise of Civil rights, freedom of speech, and free assembly and gave the revolutionaries the type of
government they so desired. Thus the government response was two fold the bought off the revolutionary
groups with a compromise. Then they use vigorous violence and suppression to dampen morale and crush
uprisings. Also the split between the SD9 party into the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks in 1903 was also significant,
as it showed that no party was truly united and weaknesses within these groups were used by the Tsar to
overcome them. The readiness of the liberals to accept the October Manifesto suggests that this group was also
not ready for revolution helping the Tsar survive the events of 1905 relatively unscathed. But these were really
expedients rather than real reforms.
This helped the Tsar survive the 1905 revolution because…Through Stolypins firm use of suppression but also
his use of reform and the Fundamental Laws10 1906 the Tsar remained in full control of everything. In 1906 the
Fundamental Laws meant that the power of the Duma was seriously curtailed. In 11Article 47 of the Fundamental
7
Lynch p48, Darby p36
This is an important factor in helping the Tsar Survive 1905
9
Social Democrats –important to mention the spilt in 1903. Mensheviks/Bolsheviks drawn from middle and upper class. Tactics were propaganda amongst workers/relatively
quiet until 1917
10
Lynch p51 Darby p41
11
Read articles on Russia in 1914 in files and essay on ‘How far was Russia on course for peaceful and successful reform before the First World War?
8
throughout.
FACTOR 4
The readiness of
revolutionary
parties to mount
a serious
challenge to the
Tsar.
FACTOR 5
12
13
Laws were the regulations directly dependant on autocratic power ‘let it be known that to all that I shall mention
he principle of autocracy just as firmly as my dead father12’. Although the Duma could pass reforms the Tsar
retained the all-important power of veto, which was extended into Article 87 of the Fundamental Laws, where
the Tsar now had the right to rule by decree where the legislature had been dissolved. The Duma therefore was
not intended to be or nor indeed become a limitation on the tsars autocratic powers.
The Tsar survived the 1905 revolution because…13The division between the revolutionary parties such as the
Liberal groups from the Octoberists to the Kadets signified that no party was really prepared to come against the
Tsar and highlights the different aims and fragmentary nature to the revolutionary resistance. More importantly
these groups were often scared and threatened by one another. In the creation of the Union of Unions in which
the S.R’s, Industrial Workers, and Liberals were meant to rise together. However this was not the case the
workers did not mix well with middle class intelligentsia and vice versa. The proletarian workers also did not
want to be without work for so long and receive little income, as they did not want to see the repeat of the 1891
Famine. All the revolutionary forces were going into action for the first time lacking experience, leadership and
confidence.
Speech made by Nicholas II 1906
Lynch p49-50