Lesson 2 - How did the Tsar survive the 1905 Revolution?
The government’s attempts to deal with its problems failed dramatically. In 1903 it slightly relaxed censorship and other repressive measures. The result was an explosion of antigovernment pamphlets, books and newspapers. It also tried to set up government-approved trade unions (free trade unions were illegal), but this simply led to strikes and demands for free unions. In 1904, hoping to unite the country behind him with spectacular victories, the Tsar embarked on a war against Japan. In fact, Russia suffered a series of humiliating defeats.
Bloody Sunday
These tensions all came together on Sunday, 22 January 1905, when a crowd of 200,000 protesters, led by the priest Father Gapon, came to the Winter Palace to give a petition to the Tsar. Many of the marchers carried pictures of the Tsar to show their respect for him.
The Tsar was not in the Winter Palace. He had left St Petersburg when the first signs of trouble appeared. The protesters were met by a regiment of soldiers and mounted Cossacks. Without warning, the soldiers opened fire and the Cossacks charged. It was a decisive day. The Tsar finally lost the respect of Father Gapon and the ordinary people of Russia.
Bloody Sunday
These tensions all came together on Sunday, 22 January 1905, when a crowd of 200,000 protesters, led by the priest Father Gapon, came to the Winter Palace to give a petition to the Tsar. Many of the marchers carried pictures of the Tsar to show their respect for him.
The Tsar was not in the Winter Palace. He had left St Petersburg when the first signs of trouble appeared. The protesters were met by a regiment of soldiers and mounted Cossacks. Without warning, the soldiers opened fire and the Cossacks charged. It was a decisive day. The Tsar finally lost the respect of Father Gapon and the ordinary people of Russia.
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If you've watched my films on 'what is history?', you'll know that I like to say all history is 'text'. What I mean is that all history is the work of historians working with the traces that the past has left behind, attempting to reconstruct through writing the way things were. Good history is not simply accurate and factual. No historian gets praised for getting their facts right. Good historians use their creative abilities, their imagination to attempt to bring the past alive. One of my favourite historians Orlando Figes is particularly good at this. Read (or watch/listen below) to his account of the Bloody Sunday massacre and you'll get a sense of what I mean.
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Orlando Figes on the 1905 Revolution - Extract
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Activity 1
Read through the Orlando Figes's account of the 1905 revolution above.
What evidence is there that it is history? Choose some extracts which seem to you typically historical.
What evidence is there that it is literature? Choose some extracts which seem to you typical of literature.
What ultimately is the difference between literature and history?
Read through the Orlando Figes's account of the 1905 revolution above.
What evidence is there that it is history? Choose some extracts which seem to you typically historical.
What evidence is there that it is literature? Choose some extracts which seem to you typical of literature.
What ultimately is the difference between literature and history?
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Activity 2 Using the PowerPoint above and your textbook explain on one page of A4 maximum:
This sheet also has a useful summary of the topic. |
When trying to explain the causes of revolution, it is important to distinguish between immediate short-term causes and (often more important) long-term causes. Short-term causes often only explain when the event happened rather than why.
The short-term cause of the revolution was the war with Japan we studied in the last unit. In addition, an analytical response requires you to demonstrate the links between different types of causes: political, economic, social and cultural. Sometimes additional factors also need to be considered such as war or the important role played by individuals. On the famous 1903 London conference that led to the Bolshevik - Menshevik split, this recent BBC radio broadcast is interesting.
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Extension and extras
Hilary Mantel's brilliant lecture from 2017 gets to the heart of why the distiction between hisory and literature is so blurred.
Hilary Mantel's brilliant lecture from 2017 gets to the heart of why the distiction between hisory and literature is so blurred.