It was the actions of the Tsar that were primarily responsible for the failure of the 1905 revolution-
how far do you agree?
Factor: Political concessions, Lack of unity, support for the regime (military and political).
Introduction
Actions of the Tsar - root cause thus primarily responsible
- Social and repressive policies that reduced effect of the revolutionary groups
• freedom of expression, association and the press - SD’s smuggled newspaper into Russia
• Exiled leaders were far away from their supporters (less effective)
• Lack of educational reforms meant illiterate population (peasants are 80% of pop.) which
reduced effect of revolutionary propaganda
• CONSEQUENCE =less support for revolutionary groups and more loyalty to the Tsar.
• Analysis - the policies of Nicholas II meant that revolutionary groups were restricted and less
organised than they were for the 1917 Revolution (when Trade Unions and political parties
were legalised).
- Political concessions - like the October and August Manifesto - dealt with liberal middle class
• Made the Duma
• Freedom of speech, expression and association
• CONSEQUENCE= split the opposition into Kadets vs Octobrists (link to lack of unity)
• Analysis - the political concessions furthered divisions among revolutionary groups, slowing
the pace of the 1905 Revolution.
- reduced redemption payments and a downed then altogether - dearth with peasants
- Eval - The actions of the Tsar were the root cause for the lack of unity and organisation among
revolutionaries, therefore he is the root cause...
Lack of unity among revolutionaries - secondary impact
- Before 1905 Revolution
• Lack of unity was due to different ideologies
• Liberals separated from socialists
• Marxism vs SRs
• Bolsheviks vs Mensheviks
• They were continually fighting and disagreeing
• CONSEQUENCE = not much impact because they still managed to start the 1905 revolution
which could have continued if divides were not worsened by actions of the Tsar and army
involvement
- After 1905 Revolution
• Divisions between Octobrists and rest of revolutionary groups
- Eval - because the lack of unity is continually before and after revolution, it did not have a
significant impact. The impact of the Tsar’s actions was greater because they were the root
cause for further divides and they were the cause for loyalty among peasants.
Support for the regime - physical impact (Tsar’s actions = psychological impact)
- Military Support
• Army were significant in putting down uprisings - Moscow Uprising
• Eval - they caused own uprisings - Potemkin Battleship (June 1905) so countered by this
- Political Support
• The League of Russian People
• Black Hundreds - created fear and pogroms
• Eval - Not as significant because as they formed, opposition political groups formed as a
result of the October Manifesto so they were countered by this
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