Tsar Nicholas II and 1905 Revolution
The Tsar (Nicholas II) survived the 1905 revolution. However, the
revolution in 1917 did remove him from power. When asking why Nicholas
II survived 1905 there are numerous factors to examine. Both
revolutions had extremely similar conditions. Levels of
dissatisfaction, strikes and the country moving towards a wartime
economy are all examples. It is also important to see small
differences which gave the two events such contrasting outcomes and
determined the survival and the fall of the Tsar.
In February 1904 war broke out between Russia and Japan over a town
called Manchuria situated in Northern China. After suffering a
humiliating defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, Russia expected severe
peace terms. However, due to the negotiations presided over by
President Roosevelt the terms were quite lenient. This allowed
Nicholas to save face, pride and secure his position. In 1905, despite
the appalling conditions that the workers in the agricultural and
industrial sectors were suffering, there was still support and good
will towards the Tsar. It is suggested that the people did not blame
the Tsar, but his advisers for the state of the country.
On the 22nd January 1905 peaceful demonstrations began, co-ordinated
by the Union of Liberation, these demonstrations were an attempt to
make the Tsar transform the Russian government. The demonstrators
marched towards the Winter Palace in St Petersburg peacefully and
unarmed. Regardless of this they were massacred before the palace,
this event becoming known as 'Bloody Sunday'. They were lead by
Father Gapon; who became one of the revolution's most vigoro...
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...d War 1. This revolution
actually had a established opposition in the shape of Stalin's
communist party this meant no peaceful protest like in 1905, the
protests were riots and with no backing from his army, who walked out
on 12th March, the Tsar was helpless. The last reason it was
successful was this revolution had and motivator and leader that man
was Lenin.
Bibliography:
Alan Farmer – An Introduction to Modern European History 1890-1990.
London 2000
Dukes Paul - October and the World. London 1979
Goldston Robert - The Russian Revolution. London 1967
Hosking Geoffrey - A History of the Soviet Union. London 1985.
Michael Lynch - Reaction and Revolutions Russia 1881-1924 (Access to
History), 2000
Title Picture from -http://encarta.msn.com/media_461543533/Shots_that_Sparked_a_Revolution.html
The Seizure of Power by the Bolsheviks in 1917. How did the Bolsheviks seize power of the Russian Empire in 1917? They were able to do this as a result of taking advantage of the current political and social situations in the country at the time. Through such decisions as disbanding the army and siding with the majority. the peasants, through such promises as land, food, equality and peace.
Nicholas II ruled Russia from 1894-1917 and was to be its final tsar. He ascended the throne under the impression that he would rule his whole life as it's undisputed leader. Accompanied by his wife, Alexandra, they lived a comfortable life of luxury while the country suffered around them. Nicholas was determined to rule as harshly as his father; however, he was a very weak and incompetent character who did not posses the qualities capable of guiding Russia through its time of turmoil.
It was said that the educated people, the contact with other countries should contribute to the government policy. As said in document 1 , "By 1900 there were political parties raging from far right defenders of autocracy and russian power over all other ethnicities, to far left revolutionaries calling for the overthrow of the government." The government there was autocratic, which was when the tsar had all the power/control of the government. Another cause for the Russian Revolution was the outbreak of WW1. "Even before the war urban workers all over the Russian empire had been increasingly radical, but the war brought the government's incompentence and the people's grievances into sharper relief. The first months of the war were a disaster for Russia." It is much easier to overthrow a government than to try andcreate a new government. As said in document 2,"Chaos, conflict, uncertaunty; more violence are much more common and often led to centralized, authoritarian governments." There was celebration all over the streets after the indication that the tsar was overthrown after 300 years of a tsarist government ruling. "The problem was that, after the party, governing problems arose immediately.
They were too localized in nature. These revolts chiefly aimed at obtaining local independence and not the overthrow of Tsardom. The Tsar retained the support of the bureaucracy, the major part of the army and the nobility. Thus the Tsar was able to suppress the strikes and the revolts after the division had appeared among the opposition forces. In short, the opposition forces, divided, unprepared to seize power, unable to represent the wishes of the peasants and the workers, failed to overthrow the decadent and demoralized dynasty which retained the support of the nobles, the bureaucrats and the army.
Sack, Arkady J., “The Birth of the Russian Democracy”. New York city, Russian information bureau. 1918.
High, S. (1924, Nov 26). Will there be a russian peasants' revolt? Outlook (1893-1924), 138, 495. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/137018151?accountid=147304
Nicholas was considered a selfish ruler with no love for his very own people. Nicholas was forced to give up his throne by a strike that broke out in Petrograd on March 1917(Kindersley). After Nicholas getting forced out of his throne a party called The Mensheviks formed a govern-ment made up of revolutionary’s but failed. The Bolsheviks came right after seeking to enforce Marxism and gain power. The Czar Family were arrested and all killed after a year,
Certain aspects of Tsar Nicholas 2's behaviour definitely contributed to bringing about the fall of the Russian Empire, however most of these qualities were not weaknesses in character as such, they were qualities we would associate with poor leadership. When we say 'weakness in character' we mean being easily influenced/controlled by others. Nicholas himself was a firm believer in autocracy; he was virtually unmovable in this belief. And this obstinant belief clearly illustrates he stuck to his beliefs, although in his early years as tsar his uncles had huge influence. That said, the fall of the Russian Empire was not all a result of Nicholas' character and poor leadership qualities, we must also see that the huge socio-economic changes happening as well as the outbreak WW1 hugely influenced the coming about of and the timing of the revolution. These changes would be hard for any government to manage.
I. A good majority of the Russian people were weary and uncontent with the way the war was going and with the Czar's rule. This uncontent, along with economic hardships, caused riots and demonstrations to break out. The Czar called for the army to put down the revolution, as they did in 1905. But the army joined the revolt and the Czar was kicked out of power soon afterwards.
Wood, A. (1986). The Russian Revolution. Seminar Studies in History. (2) Longman, p 1-98. ISBSN 0582355591, 9780582355590
In February of 1917 a group of female factory workers and led a revolt in which the Tsar was dethroned, only to be replaced by a provisionary government composed of the Russian elite. When this government did not live up to its promises of an end to Russian involvement in World War I, the Bolsheviks (“majority”), a revolutionary movement led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the provisionary government in what bacame known as the October revolution.
Many people wonder why some countries, like Russia, are the way they are today. What most people do not realize is that most of these countries have gone through many changes in government and society. The Russian Revolution was one of the most significant events because of how is changed not only Russia's government, but also the whole country.
The Russian Revolution Today, when one thinks of the communist form of government, they often think of oppression, domination and corruption. We see that people do not have the freedom to their rights and are not allowed to go forth and conquer their goals. However, communism in its pure form appeared to be fair and just. The idea of communism basically formed around the idea of equality.
Bloody Sunday was the day that father Gapon walked to the winter palace with thousands of workers and a petition to outline the problems and hardships caused by the tsar and to demand change be made consisting of an improvement to working conditions, a reduction in working hours and an end to the Russo Japanese war. This is an extract from that petition, “We workers, inhabitants of St. Petersburg, have come to Thee. We are unfortunate, reviled slaves, weighed down by despotism and tyranny. Our patience exhausted, we ceased work and begged our masters to give us only that without which life is a torment. But this was refused; to the employers everything seemed unlawful. We are here, many thou sands of us. Like the whole of the Russian people, we have no human rights whatever. Owing to the deeds of Thy officials we have become slaves.” However this peaceful march ended horribly as when the group of marchers arrived at their destination they were confronted by Russian troops and the police and shots were fired into the crowd resulting in hundreds of dead Russians lying in the street. The events of bloody Sunday were a key factor in the causing of the 1905 Russian revolution as they made Russians angry at the way the tsar, his army and the police dealt with things causing many of
Lenin, Vladmir. " The Bolsheviks and the Petty Bourgeoise." Lenin Collected Works. Vol. 12.