Topic 1

• Who ruled Russia during 1905?

  The Romanov family
• Who was the Tsar of Russia in 1905?

  Nicholas II
• What type of government did Russia have under Nicholas II?

  Russia was an autocracy
• What role did ministers play in Nicholas II's government?

  They provided advice to the Tsar
• What was the relationship between the Tsar and the army?

  The Tsar was in command of the army
• How did the church support Nicholas II?

  The church supported the Tsar's rule
• What was the situation for the people of Russia regarding government change?

  There was no way for the people to change their government
• What were the main grievances of the peasants in the Russian Empire?

  They were hungry for land, overtaxed, and lived in poverty
• What issues did industrial workers face in Russia?

  They had terrible living and working conditions with low pay
• Why was the middle class discontented with the tsarist government?

  They had no say in how Russia was governed
• What did different nationalities in the Russian Empire want?

  They wanted independence from Russian oppression
• Who assassinated Nicholas II's grandfather?

  Terrorists from the Social Revolutionary Party
• What was the goal of the Social Revolutionary Party (SRs)?

  To overthrow the tsarist government through violence
• What measures were taken by the police and courts under the tsarist autocracy?

  They were given a great deal of power
• What role did censorship play in the tsarist regime?

  Censorship was important to control information
• What was the name of the secret police division created under the tsarist regime?

  Okhrana
• What event triggered the revolution in 1905?

  The defeat in the Russo-Japanese War and Bloody Sunday
• What was Bloody Sunday?

  The massacre of unarmed protestors by soldiers in St Petersburg
• What happened to the Potemkin battleship in 1905?


  Part of the Russian Navy mutinied and sank the ship
• What was the outcome of the strikes and riots in Russia during 1905?

  They led to the October Manifesto and the creation of the Duma
• What did the October Manifesto provide to the people of the empire?

  New civil rights and the creation of the Duma
• What was the role of the Duma established by the October Manifesto?

  It was a parliament with representatives elected in a general election
• Why was the Tsar able to survive the 1905 Revolution?


  Due to the appeasement of the middle class, loyalty of the army, and disorganized opposition
• What did the Fundamental Laws of April 1906 establish?

  Russia's State Duma with limited powers
• How were the powers of the Duma limited?

  The Tsar kept important powers in armed services and foreign policy
• Why did Nicholas II distrust the Duma?

  He hated the idea of limiting his sacred autocratic powers
• What happened to the first two Dumas?

  They were quickly dissolved by the Tsar for being too radical
• What characterized the third Duma?

  It was mainly made up of conservative deputies who supported the Tsar
• What reforms did Prime Minister Stolypin implement?

  He made land reforms to stop rebellions by allowing peasants to leave communes
• When was Prime Minister Stolypin assassinated?

  In 1911
• What event in 1912 increased discontent with the government?

  The strike in the Lena Goldfields where strikers were shot
• What was the overall impact of the events leading up to 1917 on the Russian government?

  Discontent with the government increased significantly
• Who is depicted in the photo taken in 1905?

  Nicholas II and his family
• What is the name of Nicholas II's wife?

  Alexandra
• In what year was the photo of Nicholas II and his family taken?

  1905
• How does the photo of Nicholas II and his family relate to the context of Russian history in 1905?

  It reflects the royal family's public image during unrest