Paper 1 : Autocracy and Revolt in Russia, 1881 - 1914 : The 1905 Revolution

Points in blue represent the specification point according to Edexcel History.

Points written in red represents the main point.
Points written in purple represents sub points.

       Elaboration on main point         Results          Definition

RUSSO - JAPANESE WAR

• Russo-Japanese War Failure.

• Nicholas II thought that the war as a victory in a short war would stop people criticising his government.
• War made conditions worse.
• Prices rose in cities.
• Caused shortages of food and other goods.
• Lack of industrial materials caused factories to close down.
• Increased rate of unemployment and hungry.
• As the war progressed, Russia was plunged deeper and deeper into crisis. 
• 1905, Port Arthur fell to the Japanese, bringing renewed protest about the incompetence of the Tsar and the Government. 
• This soon led to working class, the peasants and middle class, liberals joining together in the 1905 revolution.
• Humiliating for Russia as Japan was such a small country.
• Major Battles
• Russian Navy fought 2 major battles to relieve Port Arthur.
• Liaoyang and Sha Ho.
• Russians were defeated and surrendered.
• 2nd January 1905, Japanese captured Port Arthur.
• Russian Army suffered 90,000 casualties in its failed attempt to Mukden.
• In May 1905, Russian Navy was attacked at Tsushima, Naval Battle in Japan.
• 20 ships sunk.
• 5 ships captured.
• Only 4 ships managed to reach safety at Vladivostok.
• Sergei Witte led the Russian delegation at the peace conference held in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in August 1905.
• Treaty of Portsmouth
• Liaotung Peninsula and the South Manchurian Railway went to Japan.
• Island of Sakhalin was divided into two.
• The Nothern Manchurian Highway and Chinese Eastern Railway remained under Russian control.
• Casualties
• 80,000 Japan army casualties.
• 130,000 Russian men dead.
• China suffered 20,000 civillian deaths.
• China financially lost 69 million taels.
• Unknown number of soldiers dead at sea, no agreed consensus soldiers at sea.
• Many ships denied rescuing casualties that were left shipwrecked.
• This led to Geneva Convention in 1906, gave protection and care to the shipwrecked soldiers.
• Major results :
• Japan's prestige rose greatly as it is now seen as a modern nation.
• Russia lost virtually its entire Pacific and Baltic fleets as well as international esteem.
• Russia was France and Serbia's ally, that loss of prestige had a significant effect on Germany's future when planning to war with France and Austria-Hungary's war with Serbia.
• Russian military capabilities in World War One was underestimated.

• Reason why Russia lost :
• Lack of technology.
• Underestimation of Japan as it is an "Asian" country.
• Lack of Russian's infrastructure.
• Unable to supply troops because industry was so backwards.
• Geographically difficult to manipulate army troops around.

FATHER GAPON AND BLOODY SUNDAY (JANUARY 1905)

• Father Gapon and the workers of Petrograd were faced with problems when working.
• Workers wanted reduced shift at factories to 8 hours, increasing in wages as well as sanitary improvements in working areas.
• Dirty working areas has known to cause diseases which workers succumb to.
• As a result, Father Gapon drew up a petition, outlining the worker's sufferings in hopes to discuss with the Tsar as he viewed himself as one of the "children" of the Tsar.
• They intended it to be a peaceful petition listing of their grievances.
• On Sunday 22nd January, 200,000 people and Father Gapon marched to the Winter Palace to deliver the petition to the Tsar. 
• However, as the marchers met with the palace, they met with troops.
• Unfortunately, the Tsar was not at his palace. Troops were given no guidelines from authorities and began shooting as the "peaceful" demonstration were perceived as a threat.
• Over 100 workers were killed and 300 wounded.
• As a result of the Bloody Sunday,
• Strikes took place all over the country involving 400,000 people.
• Peasants attacked homes of their landlords.
• Trans-siberian railway grind to a halt, made it difficult economically.
• Universities close down as students complained about the lack of civil rights and with that, staged a walkout.
• Students essentially "boycotted" the education system.
• Lawyers, doctors, engineers and middle-class workers established the Union of Unions and demanded a constituent assembly.

Key events of the 1905 revolution.

• It was sparked by a peaceful protest, Bloody Sunday.
• This was the turning point for the relationship of the Russians and the Tsar.
• The intention of the Russian Orthodox preacher, Father Gapon, and the workers were nothing but innocent. 
• They did not plan on making any political protest, or sense of overthrowing the government but to simply outline the unsanitary and demanding lifestyle in the factories. 
• Potemkin Mutiny (June 1905)
• Soldiers protested against the serving of rotten meat for meals.
• It was unjust as they had to fight for the country but are supplied inferior quality of living.
• The captains of the ship ordered that the ringleaders to be shot.
• The firing-squad refused to shoot, instead joined the ringleaders and retaliated, "mutinied" by throwing the captains overboard.
• The Potemkin Mutiny later spread to other armies and navy bases. 
• Setting up of the soviets
• In October 1905, industrial workers all over Russia went on strike.
• The railwaymen paralysed the whole Russia Trans-siberian railway network. 
• This resulted in the creation of the Petrograd Soviet created by Trotsky and Mensheviks. 
• October Manifesto
• Sergei, the new Chief Minister advised the Tsar to make concessions as the Romanov's autocratic ruling has taken a nosedive in popularity amongst Russians.
• The Tsar agreed and brought in reforms.
• Threatened by the events of the 1905 revolution, the Tsar contemplated a military dictatorship or a constitutional monarchy. 
• They chose a constitutional monarchy in the end which marked the end of unlimited autocratic ruling in Russia.
• He did not do this because he wanted to change Russia but rather as a sign of weakness. 
• He could feel himself losing grip of his autocratic prowess.
• The October Manifesto granted civil rights and freedom of speech for the people, the creation of a Duma and universal suffrage.

Reasons why Nicholas survived

• October Manifesto
• It managed to please majority of opposition groups.
• With the promise of a duma, the Tsar indirectly promised the people democracy.
• The Liberals were happy as their aim was to have a constitutional monarchy.
• Other groups like the Kadets and Social democrats (Mensheviks and bolsheviks) were unhappy as they either wanted the abolishment of the autocratic regime or communism.
• The Tsar could crush pockets of resistance from opposition to his Tsarist regime with the military.
• Therefore, Nicholas II was able to survive the 1905 revolution.
• Segregation of opposition groups
• There was varying levels of opposition towards the Tsarist regime.
• This was because all opposition groups wanted different aims.
• For example, the Social Democrats who were the Mensheviks and Bolsheviks wanted communism.
• They had the same aim but different methods of achieving it.
• The Mensheviks believe that membership to the party should be open to all while the Bolsheviks believed that only the elite could join.
• Other groups like the Liberals wanted a constitutional monarchy.
• The difference in aims and criteria of each group respectively made it difficult for a cohesive action to be taken.
• This allowed the Tsar to remove each opposition one by one.
• Therefore, the Tsar was able to survive the 1905 revolution.
• Conclusion :
• The promise of a Duma in the October Manifesto and the Segregation of opposition groups simplified the elimination of opposition towards the Tsarist regime.
• Therefore, Tsar Nicholas II was able to survive the 1905 revolution.