History- Causes

• Coronation of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra


  14 May 1896
• Coronation


  • Official coronation of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra
  • Held large banquet causing Khodynka field tragedy
  • Banquet rumoured to be giving cups full of coins as gifts, free food and beer
  • Caused a trample of people 1300 died and thousands injured
  • Unaware of event, Tsar and Tsarina scheduled go to Ball hosted by French Embassy
• 3 to 8 Jan 1905 - Major strikes in St. Petersburg

  • 4 workers at Putilov factory were dismissed in December 1904
  • Led to strike 150,000 workers from 382 different factories
  • Factories immobilised cities
• Bloody Sunday Massacre

  9th Jan 1905
• Bloody Sunday Massacre

  • Conditions: growing prices, falling wages, bad working conditions (Russo Japanese war)
  • Lead of Father Georgi Gapon petition was created to better improve rights/lives of proletariat class
  • Gapon was priest, pro-tsar
  • 135,000 workers signed petition
  • Peaceful march of Winter Palace to deliver petition
  • 150,000 people marched
  • Guards became alarmed at the amount of people
  • Guards shot and attacked on horseback
  • 200 people killed, 800 people injured (men, woman, children)
• Bloody Sunday- Quotes

  Tsar Nicholas II was seen as a murder, 'Nicholas the Bloody'
• Battle of Mukden

  11 to 25 Feb 1905
• 11 to 25 Feb 1905 - Battle of Mukden


  • Japanese army moved from Port Arthur to Manchuria
  • 90,000 Russian soldiers lost
  • Used tactics that'd be used WW1
  • Heavy artillery, machine guns, mass bayonets
• October Manifesto

  17 October 1905
• October Manifesto


  1. Tsar Nicholas had to decide between killing everyone or giving rights to the strikers

  2. Witte suggested political/social reform

  3. Witte & Alexei Obolensky (Minister Education) created document

  4. Published 17 Oct 1905 (Tsar Uncle had to threaten to commit suicide)
• Clauses in October Manifesto

  • Human rights: civil freedoms of speech, assembly, association
  • Development of Duma and right to vote
  • Duma required to pass laws
• New electoral laws- 11 Dec 1905


  • Men over 25 eligible to vote (vote for someone to rep them)
  • Landowners w/ 2000> able vote
  • Peasants needed vote indirectly
  • Businesses w/ less 50 workers excluded voting
  • Over 60% urban working class not allowed vote
  • Not universal suffrage (not everyone getting same vote)
• Fundamental laws- 23 April 1906


  • 'supreme autocratic power belongs to Tsar' so no law can be permitted w/o his approval
  • Duma made of 2 houses elected council and state council (Imperial court)
  • State council selected by Tsar
  • Laws had to pass both to be passed
• Stolypin


  • Elected in response to violence
  • Known for violent suppression
  • Aim hunt down revolutionaries/radicals
  • Set tribunals w/o investigation/delay
  • Punishment: always execution
  • Used Okhrana kill political opponents
  • Hangman's noose named 'Stolypin's necktie' (no. executions)
• First Duma dissolved

  8 July 1906
• First Duma- 27 April 1906


  • Dissolved after 73 days
  • Tsar didn't like radical demands
  • Kadets encouraged population stop paying taxes/ refuse enlist into war
• Second Duma 20 Feb 1907


  • New elections led large no. Mensheviks and SR's taking seats
  • Increased left wings in party (more radical)
  • Strong radical/anti gov attitudes (same demands 1st Duma)
  • More disagreement so no progress
• Second Duma dissolved and electoral laws passed

  3 June 1907
• Second Duma 3 June 1907


  • Dissolved after 4 months
  • SD deputy arrested/accused plans overthrow gov
  • Tsar 'forced' dissolve
• Third Duma opens

  7 November 1907
• Third Duma- 7 Nov 1907


  • Extremely conservative (new voting laws)
  • Duma unrepresentative of public= discontent
  • Stolypin: group easy work with
  • Pass land reforms, free education and national insurance bills
  • 3rd Duma served full 5 yrs
• Stolypin assassinated

  1 Sep 1911
• 1912- Mensheviks and Bolsheviks officially split
• Striking of workers at Lena minefield massacred by Tsarist forces

  4 April 1912
• Lena minefield massacre- 4 April 1912


  • Due to assassination of Stolypin (reduce danger)
  • Striking for better pay/ conditions
  • Fired upon by soldiers
  • 500 dead and wounded
• Fourth Duma created (in session till 1914)


  15 November 1912
• Fourth Duma- 15 Nov 1912


  • Majority right wing (conservative)
  • Served full 5 yrs
  • After Stolypin assassination, increase violence, strikes, protests (lack representation)
  • Not very radical, still voiced against Tsar
  • Continue introduction of national insurance, attempt to develop state welfare for all
• • Duma opportunity for positive reforms/ change
  • If given proper power, revolution could've been avoided
  • Russia could've become incredible power
  • But Tsar wanted hold traditional ways (led path violence, death)
• Germany declares war on Russia

  1 August 1914
• Public reaction

  • Discontent replaced w/ nationalism
• Upper class PM reaction

  • Assumed danger with involvement, irreparable damage
• Lenin's reaction

  • Wealthy person manipulating masses for gain
• Military impacts

  • Little/ no military training (conscripted dark masses)
  • Lack weapons/ ammunition
  • 1/3 Russian soldiers had no rifle (6.5 mil men but 4.6 mil rifles)
  • Had to get rifle from dead soldiers
  • Used all ammo in 6 months
  • Sukhomlinov (War Minister) old fashioned: use horse and sword, storm trench with bayonets, hand combat… LOL
  • Poor leadership (chosen loyalty Tsar, bloodline)
  • Not enough food, supplies, clothing, bedding
  • Soldiers demoralised, wanted become POW (bad to fight, bad at home): POW to dead ratio 16:1
  • 5 mil casualties (battle, disease, starvation)
• Social impacts

  • Violent resistance to conscription
  • Bad living conditions
  • Food shortages (farmers hoarding grain)
  • Huge famine & death toll
  • Increase crime
  • Forced requisition of horses, food, equipment
  • Middle class had to use savings
  • Social tension (gov discontent)
  • Increase socialist activity
  • Revolutionary groups use conditions for campaign
• Battle of Tannenberg


  28-31 August 1914
• Battle of Tannenberg 28-31 Aug 1914


  • Major loss
  • Poor organisation
  • Poor communication
  • Lack supplies/training
  • Attacked strong German army
  • 4 days= 70,000 dead/wounded, 100,000 POW
  • Samsonov shot himself from humiliation
• Russian army defeated at Masurian Lakes


  15 September 1914
• Battle of Masurian Lakes 15 Sep 1914


  • Major loss
  • Poor organisation
  • Poor communication
  • Lack supplies/training
  • Germans able to decipher code
  • Attempted to withdraw
  • Surrounded & forced surrender
  • 60,000 more dead
• Tsar Nicholas II takes control of armed forces

  2 August 1915
• Tsar Nicholas II takes control


  • Tsar Nicholas II blamed loss on Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich
  • Decided replace him
  • Gov please reconsider: uncle is popular/ experienced
  • While Tsar has no experience and military training
  • Awkward didn't know how to increase morale
  • Made no difference
  • Caused question on Tsar ability to lead
  • Refused pull out of war (stubborn)