literature

Revolution in Russia, 1905

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Explain why, in 1905, revolution broke out in Russia.

Revolution broke in Russia due to the situation the government created. Their repression resulted in prisons overflowing with innocent people wrongly accused of crime, soldiers in the streets ready to fire, censorship spreading everywhere and famine in the countryside.



One cause for revolution was Bloody Sunday, when 150,000 peaceful protestors march to the Winter Palace for better working conditions – working conditions were so poor that 6 people shared 1 room and 40% of houses had no sewage system, leading to 30,000 deaths from cholera. The tsar was already at his Summer Palace but ordered 12,000 troops and Cossacks to kill the protestors. Another group who protested at the Summer Palace failed, and fled to the Winter Palace, adding to the massacre and confusion. With 200 dead and 300 wounded, Bloody Sunday resulted in destroying the tsar’s “Little Father” image (“Little Father” meaning the tsar was literally God on Earth) and adding to the existing unrest. This reason explains why revolution broke out in Russia.



Bloody Sunday resulted from the Russo-Japanese War, where Plehve (Minister for Internal Affairs) advised the tsar for a “short swift victorious war”. A war 6000 miles away from the capital, a six-day journey on the incomplete Trans-Siberian Railway and lack of ammunition meant immediate disadvantage for Russia. Japan’s determination and Russia’s general mismanagement meant a short swift disastrous war for Russia. This led to more unrest, factory closures, disrupted trade, unemployment, strikes and overall resentment to the tsarist government. Bloody Sunday was an appeal for jobs/better working conditions. This reason explains why revolution broke out in Russia.



The Russo-Japanese War sparked all kinds of chaos; one example is the Potemkin mutiny, where an outcry against inedible meat led to sailors attacking their commanders, 2000 deaths and 3000 more wounded – an even bigger massacre than Bloody Sunday. The Potemkin mutiny made the tsarist government vulnerable since it couldn’t rely on its army; therefore had no real power can couldn’t control the dissatisfied masses. There was a funeral for the Potemkin crew but the tsarist army attacked the mourners when they wouldn’t leave. This reason explains why revolution broke out in Russia.

In conclusion, revolution broke out in Russia from cumulated general dissatisfaction with the tsarist government for trying to curb revolutionary activity to begin with. Soldiers and workers started sympathising – different classes co-operating to potentially seize Russia. Bloody Sunday is the most significant factor to causing this pre-collapse of tsarism as the tsar’s mindless repression immediately foiled the Romanov’s (tsar’s family) “Little Father” image – signalling the start of the loss of control over the people.<p>

An essay I did on Modern Russian History, why revolution broke out in Russia in 1905.

- AmpleDeviant
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