opposition 1

• The terrorists in 1904 were successful for murdering Plehve, who most blamed for the war with Japan
• Trigger for the 1905 strikes? 


  Five men sacked from Putilov factory in St Petersburg, workers were demanding their reinstatement. By the 7th Jan 105,000 workers were striking. By the 9th Jan a larger demonstration was organised by Father Gapon
• Who was Father Gapon? 


  organised a large demonstrations on 9th Jan, he was head of the assembly of the Russian factory and mill workers
• The protests were peaceful, the crowds carried heads of the Tsar, they sang hymns and the national anthems. There were loyal petitions to the Tsar; they just wanted extra help rather than to overthrow the Tsar
• The soldiers reacted to the protests very aggressively; 200 killed and 800 wounded
• the 1905 revolution damaged the Tsar's reputation
• In October 1905: peasant revolts broke out in Western Russia, consultative assembly was created when Nichola's uncle was assassinated (Grand Duke Sergi), may the Union of Unions was created and June the union of peasants
• October revolution: the Tsar met with Zemstvo leaders and have vague promises for the future of the Dumas and constitute assembly; the Tsar published a consultative assembly yet excluding townspeople and workers (ineffective)
• In October there was a strike with the railways and soon Russia was paralysed by strikes and the Tsar's opponents became more unified
• In St Petersburg, Trotsky called for a strike and for everyone to withdraw money in gold from the banks, this was poorly supported and Witte thought he was strong enough to arrest the Soviet, Trotsky soon to be arrested and killed
• Bloody Sunday: 22nd January 1905 Tsar's troops fires on peaceful protestors
• there were 3300 peasant disturbances in 1905
• Febuary assassination of Grand Duke Sergi (Nicholas Uncle)
• After the 1905 revolution: Stolypin brought in land reforms to encourage higher production, encourage Kulaks to be more efficient and allowed them to consolidate their land however alienated the poorer peasants
• In Poland by January there were fights between strikers and troops and in Febuary students joined these demonstrations, This meant the Tsarist regime had to keep a force of 300,000 soldiers in Poland who were badly needed for the Russo-Japanese war
• SR organised peasant risings in 1907 which failed and in 1908 they discovered there was a police spy in their terrorist group; showing effectiveness of the Tsar
• 1905 there were 10 executions whilst in 1908 there were 825
• 1912 strike in Lena Goldfields due to bad working conditions, employers refused to grant strikers demands for better wages and conditions, called on police to arrest strike leaders, violence used and 200 killed
• Stolypin's reforms led to creation of prosperous peasants called the 'Kulaks'. 2 million families left the mir with an additional 3 million went to Virgin islands in Siberia
• Stolypin's necktie's were harsh
• Zmestva expenditure doubled 1906-12
• SR's attempts to ignite serious peasant uprisings in 1907 failed
• RSDLP said membership fell from 150,000 to 10,000
• Union members fell from 300,000 to 1907 to 40,000 in 1913
• growing economy created lots of middle class jobs- industrialists, bankers, lawyers, teachers and engineers
• fall in number of strikes from 1905
• Boom in living standards
• 6% annual growth from 1907-14
• middle class fear of proletarian revolt
• 200,000 political prisoners in 1908, 5000 death sentences passed 1907-09
• number of strikes rose 1910
• Strikes in 1905= 13,995 and by 1914= 3534
• An armed rising in Moscow was brutally put down and at least 1000 died
• Attacks on property resulted in 15000 peasants being hung and 45000 deported
• The government organised 'the union of Russian people' which is similar to the Nazi brownshirts and they attacked working class right wing; nicknamed the black hundreds
• Black hundreds kills 3000 in 1905-1906
• 1 noble vote was equivalent to 2 townsmen, 15 peasants and 45 urban workers
• strikes decreased from 2.8 million to 50,000 political strikes
• 1908 200,000 political prisoners
• number of strikes rose from 1910