1. How stable was the Tsarist
regime by 1914?
An in-depth look at the Russo
Japanese War, 1905 Revolution, the
October Manifesto and Petyr Stolypin
2. So far… So Russia
1. Russia – an introduction
2. The Crimean War
3. Alexander II – Reform
4. Opponents of Alex II and Alex III
5. Alexander III & Industrialisation
6. Russo-Japanese war 1905
7. Revolution of 1905
8. Nicholas II, Stolypin and Russia on the eve of war
9. World War 1
10. Revolutions of 1917
11. The Russian Civil War / Lenin
12. Rise of Stalin
13. Five Year Plans, Collectivisation and the Great Terror
14. World War Two
15. Last Years of Stalin
Question
To what extent did war
provide a catalyst for
change in Russia between
1853-1953?
3. Russo-Japanese War
• Why did Russia go to war with Japan in
1905?
• What impact did the loss of the war have on
the government?
4.
5. Reasons for war with Japan
• Expansion in the East would compensate for
declining influence in Europe
• Japan seen as an easy target
• Long-standing territorial disputes in region
• Ice-free port
• Distraction from Russia’s domestic problems: ‘We
need a small, victorious war to avert a
revolution’ (Interior Minister, Viacheslav Plehve)
• Economic: need to expand Russia’s markets into
Far East
• Japanese attack on Port Arthur
6. Impact of war
• Russian military exposed as poorly prepared:
Japanese army & navy better prepared than
expected; Japanese secured strategic positions, e.g.
Port Arthur
• Russian navy suffered embarrassing defeat:
destroyed by Japanese navy at Tsushima, May, 1905
• Army was overstretched: Trans-Siberian railway
proved of little value
• Failure in foreign policy provoked domestic unrest
7. Revolution of 1905 - Causes
• Russian peasants had their horizons broadened by
military life, increased levels of literacy, the
expanding rail network and some education.
• Workers were calling for rights and were
represented by SR’s and SD’s in local government.
• Economic changes under Sergei Witte were
taking place causing Russia to slowly industrialise.
• Growing pressure on land due to growing rural
population.
• Defeat in Russo-Japanese War highlighted
weakness of the state.
8. Events in brief
• Father Gapon led a peaceful protest. He went to the Tsar to ask for
civil freedoms and political participation.
• He also wanted increased worker representation, a constituent
assembly and the rule of law.
• Not a traditional revolution/coup – protestors were loyal to the Tsar.
• Bloody Sunday – Sunday 9 January Tsarist troops fired on the
protestors outside the Winter Palace in St Petersburg. 200 killed, 800
wounded.
• Belief amongst the Tsars advisers that workers strikes, army mutinies
and the creation of workers soviets had threatened the regime.
• Various social and ethnic groups were angry at massacre.
• The prestige of the royal family and the mystique of the Tsar as ‘The
Father of the Nation’ was smashed and gone forever.
• Unrest spread amongst workers and peasants – the Tsar’s uncle, Grand
Duke Sergei was assassinated.
• The Socialist parties helped to organise protests and give political
direction. Peasants called for a transfer of all ‘non-peasant land.’
9. • Overall – a completion of the 1860s reforms was
desired. Workers had specific demands to pay, hours,
conditions and political reforms.
• Peasants acted in collectives, seizing land from land-
owners.
• Workers called Soviets together, agreeing on policy as a
whole. The largest Soviet in St Petersburg put great
pressure on Tsar to make concessions. Soviets were
however, large and chaotic compared to peasant village
assemblies.
• The Battleship Potemkin mutiny was against poor
service conditions but had no real political aims. Caused
further alarm to the regime.
• There were also some ethnic groups against the process
of Russification.
• Revolution was not a conventional revolution - not co-
ordinated by a specific group.
• Nicholas II, the autocrat, opposed to reforms but more
groups emerged continued to emerge seeking change.
10. Task
• Use the PowerPoint notes to organise a list
of grievances amongst the Russian people.
• Categorise them into groups and attach
grievances to each.
11. 17 October 1905. Russians celebrating the granting of
the October Manifesto by Nicholas II, which led to
the granting of the 1906 Constitution.
12. Read Oxley p.
62
Source 19
1. How well do
you think the
October
Manifesto will
appease
opposition
groups?
2. Does the
October
Manifesto
show Tsar
Nicholas II to
be an autocrat?
14. • Tsar survived by mixing repression and reform.
He survived by releasing October Manifesto.
• The October Manifesto promised reform and
split opposition into two camps - moderate
liberals seeking constitutional reform and die-
hard revolutionaries who wanted radical
change.
• Tsar Nicholas II consented to a State Duma
which gave vote to most adult males. Not a law-
making parliament in the western sense, Tsar
could dismiss it at will and ministers were not
accountable to it. Only a weak constitutional
check.
• The Tsar issued the Fundamental Laws (23
April 1906) before the State Duma met. P. 66
October Manifesto
15. Read p. 66
Source 4
What does this source tell us about Nicholas II’s
attitude to the reforms?
16. The State Duma – Constitutional
monarchy or autocracy?
• Half the upper house was appointed by Tsar and half was the nobility.
Lower house voted by majority of adult male population. This made it
feel like autocracy to many.
• New political parties rose up around this time;
• Kadets (for professional people) – not satisfied with concessions,
United Nobility – protect interests of aristocracy, Octobrists – wanted
constitutional monarchy, SD’s – excluded or boycotted Duma. Other
groups had little voice. Bolsheviks won some seats and organised
workers groups.
• Turnout was high in elections of 1906
• The new Duma wanted radical land reform, dissolved in three months
by Tsar.
• Second Duma saw same results, conflict between it and the
autocratic regime.
• Petyr Stolypin, the Prime Minister, persisted with Duma. He pushed
for a reduced franchise (people who could vote) with landowners and
middle classes enjoying increased representation
17. State opening of 1st Duma,
1906. Do these images give
any clues over the powers of
the Duma or its relationship
with the Tsar?
18. Petyr Stolypin, Prime Minister
• Stolypin was the new Prime Minister. He wanted
Duma to be dominated by landed elite, Russians and
urban elite and thus strengthen monarchy.
• Stolypin maintained loyalty of the army.
• He aimed to give the peasantry full citizenship to
inspire loyalty and promote commercial farming in
order to build up a prosperous peasant class.
• He wanted to release peasants from the constraints of
the communes (mir and land captains) but many
peasants were resistant to change. Crop yields were
poor and rising population put pressure on land.
• Workers rights were also suppressed. Powers given to
trade unions were decreased and wages/conditions
forced back to pre-1905 levels.
• Stolypin murdered in 1911, suspicious circumstances.
Laid the foundations for more repressive, reactionary
regime.
• Lena Goldfields Massarce 1912 – miners killed for
petitioning for improved conditions.
• Stolypin was repressive against the 1905
revolutionaries but restored order in the countryside.
19. Stolypin’s Reforms
Successes
• ‘Wager on the strong’ –
creation of new
prosperous class of
peasants
• Fostered good working
relationship with
duma – last
opportunity for
peaceful reform under
Tsars
Failures
• Land reforms took time –
Stolypin spoke of needing
20 years, but was killed
after 5
• Conservatism of Russian
peasants – by 1914 only
10% of land taken out of
mirs
• Ministry of Agriculture
lost confidence in reforms
20. Eve of War
• Despite Stolypin’s successes, Russia was still behind the
western powers in coal, iron and steel production on
the eve of war.
• Nicholas II was an inherently weak individual – unable
to distinguish between good and bad advice.
• Tsar was determined to uphold tradition of autocracy
and privileges of landed nobility.
• Organised opposition still in infancy. Industrial unrest
only in St Petersburg, public mood less volatile than
1905.
• By 1914 Lenin was marginalised and pessimistic
about chances of revolution. In exile in mainland Europe.
• Tsar confident of military support.
• Many Russians dissatisfied with the evident stresses and
strains in society but as yet no catalyst to force the issue.
21. Historiography
Soviet View
• The post-1917 version of history is that the
regime lacked any basis for long-term survival
in 1914.
• Marxists believed Russia was slowly changing
from a feudal to a capitalist society
• WW1 did create additional social and economic
pressures but not enough to account for the
collapse of Tsarism.
• Bolsheviks were making good progress among
the working classes even before the war.
22. Historiography
Anti-Soviet View
• Tsarist regime had many factors in its favour
in 1914
• Disastrous involvement in WW1.
• Tsarism could have survived if it had
adapted to changing circumstances
• Russia was making considerable social and
economic progress by 1914 – war shattered
this progress.
23. Historiography
Middle-ground Views
• There were some significant developments in Russia
pre-1914.
• Difficult to assess how stable the regime was in
1914.
• Was essentially the disastrous war experience that
brought down the Tsar in 1917.
• Did not automatically dictate that Communists
would take over and establish first socialist state.
• Before 1914 there was little evidence of the regime
being willing to adapt.
