A summary of the beginning of the Russian revolution. This summary covers the Russo-Japanese War, Bloody Sunday, the 1905 revolution, Witte, Lenin's leadership and the reasons Tsarism fell. I used these notes and got an A (90)on my AS-level history exam.
Russian revolution
The Russo-Japanese War
● The Russian government had 3 motives to go to war with Japan in 1904-5:
○ To pursue an expansionist policy in the Far East to make up for the
relative decline in Europe
○ To obtain ice-free ports since most of their ports were unusable in the
winter months because they were frozen
○ To distracts attention from Russia’s domestic troubles by rallying
the nation in a patriotic struggle
● Witte wanted Russia to expand economically into the Far East
● He was the one that pushed Russia to go to war
The path to war
● Russia thought of Japan as easy prey, thinking it will be easy to win the war
● The dispute between Japan and Russia over the occupation of Korea and
Manchuria was a long-standing struggle
● Japan sent a proposal on a settlement to Russia about Korea which was
declined (hoping for a response of military action)
● Japan did indeed attack the Russian fleet in Port Arthur
The course of the conflict
● Russia underestimated Japan’s power
● Japan has been going through a phase of modernization due to reforms
● The Japanese navy and army were much more prepared than Russia and
therefore they won a series of striking victories over them
● Port Arthur fell to Japan in Jan 1905
● The next month, Japan took advantage of their success and seize the key
town of Manchuria, Mukden
● The Russian Baltic fleet sailed off to the Far East in 1904 (took 8 months to
get there)
● When it arrived, they were blown out of the water immediately by the
Japanese fleet at Tsushima in May 1905
● This meant that the Russian government had to make peace
● In the Treaty of Portsmouth, Russia had to accept the withdrawal of their
remaining troops in Manchuria and accept Japanese control over Korea and
Port Arthur
Russias defeat
● Russia lost the war because the military leaders were badly prepared not
because they fought badly
○ The commanders understood neither the enemy nor the location where
the war took place
○ Their unimaginative strategy allowed the Japanese forces to outsmart
them
, ○ The distance that Russia had to make to transport supplies and men
was way too big
○ The trans-Siberian railway was still incomplete in a number of sections
which proved to be unhelpful
○ The defeat from Japan which was viewed as a small, inferior Asian
country caused national humiliation
Causes Course Outcome Reason for
Russian defeat
Russian Port Arthur fell to Loss of Manchuria Underestimated
expansionism Japan in Jan 1905 Japanese strength
Need for an ice-free Russian surrender Loss of Korea Inadequate military
port of Mukden, Feb planning
1905
To distract people Russian fleet Loss of Port Arthur Poor strategy
from issues in the destroyed at
country Tsushima, May 1905
Russian surrender Japan’s readiness,
skill and spirit
Causes of the 1905 revolution
The reasons for the revolution
● The year 1905 was the first time Russia experienced such great opposition
○ The industrial workers, the peasants and the reformist middle class
● It was the tsarist regime’s ill-judged policies that turned the disturbances of
1905 into a direct challenge of authority
Bloody Sunday
● 22 Jan, Father Gapon, an orthodox priest, attempted to lead a peaceful march
of workers and their families to the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg
● The worker’s aim was to present a loyal petition to the tsar, begging him to
use his royal authority to relieve their horrible conditions
● The marchers scared the police forces in the capital, so the police fired on
them and they were all charged by cavalry
● There is no precise estimation but about 200 people were killed with hundreds
injured
● This was viewed by other revolutionaries as a massacre by the tsarist regime
on innocent people
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