Revolution of 1905 | |||||||
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Manifestations before Bloody Sunday |
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Belligerents | |||||||
Imperial Government Supported by: Romania |
Revolutionaries Supported by: |
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Nicholas II Sergei Witte |
Viktor Chernov Leon Trotsky |
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Casualties and losses | |||||||
Unknown | 1 battleship surrendered to Romania |
Imperial Government victory
Imperial Government Supported by:
Revolutionaries Supported by:
The Russian Revolution of 1905 was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire, some of which was directed at the government. It included worker strikes, peasant unrest, and military mutinies. It led to Constitutional Reform including the establishment of the State Duma, the multi-party system, and the Russian Constitution of 1906.
According to Sidney Harcave, author of The Russian Revolution of 1905, four problems in Russian society contributed to the revolution. Newly emancipated peasants earned too little, and were not allowed to sell or mortgage their allotted land. Ethnic minorities resented the government because of its "Russification", discrimination and repression, both social and formal, such as banning them from voting and serving in the Guard or Navy and limited attendance in schools. A nascent industrial working class resented the government for doing too little to protect them, banning strikes and labor unions. Finally, the educated class fomented and spread radical ideas after a relaxing of discipline in universities allowed a new consciousness to grow among students.
Vladimir Lenin was a political theorist who also contributed his own ideology of how a revolution would be caused. In his book Imperialism he claimed that driven imperialism and the dependence on overseas markets would be a contributing factor to revolution. This would cause a rivalry between the major powers, leading to war.