FROM WAR TO WAR 1904 1914 Key Dates

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FROM WAR TO WAR 1904 -1914

FROM WAR TO WAR 1904 -1914

Key Dates � � � � � 1904 -5 1905 Russo-Japanese War Revolution October

Key Dates � � � � � 1904 -5 1905 Russo-Japanese War Revolution October Manifesto 1906 Fundamental Laws issued First Duma 1906 -11 Stolypin’s years as Chief Minister 1907 Second Duma 1907 -12 Third Duma 1912 Lena Goldfields episode 1912 -14 Fourth Duma 1914 Germany declares War on Russia

Russo-Japanese War (background) � � 1. 2. 3. � Protection of Russia’s borders was

Russo-Japanese War (background) � � 1. 2. 3. � Protection of Russia’s borders was a constant preoccupation Three motives led Russia to war with Japan: To pursue an expansionist policy in the east To obtain an ice-free port To distract attention from Russia’s domestic troubles by rallying to patriotic struggle Witte, whom wished to expand in the east knew that war with Japan was a likely consequence of such expansion

The Path to War � � � Russia viewed Japan as an inferior nation

The Path to War � � � Russia viewed Japan as an inferior nation and expected an easy victory Territorial disputes over Manchuria and Korea were long-standing In 1904 the Russian government rejected Japan’s proposal for a peaceful settlement over claims to Korea This provoked a military response from Japan The Russian fleet in Port Arthur was attacked

Maps of the Russo-Japanese War

Maps of the Russo-Japanese War

The Course of the Conflict � � � Port Arthur fell in January 1905

The Course of the Conflict � � � Port Arthur fell in January 1905 In February the Japanese seized the key Manchurian town of Mukden The Russian Baltic fleet took 8 months to reach Manchuria; it was immediately sunk by the Japanese at Tsushima in May 1905 Peace Treaty signed in September 1905 led to severe territorial losses for Russia War dead: Russian = 120, 000 Japanese = 75, 000

Russia’s defeat � � � Officers had an unimaginative strategy Distance over which men

Russia’s defeat � � � Officers had an unimaginative strategy Distance over which men and supplies had to be transported made it very difficult for Russia The Trans-Siberian Railway, still incomplete in a number of sections, proved of little value Russia’s defeat was a national humiliation and excited the social unrest that it had been specifically designed to dampen It was a potent factor in the build up to the 1905 Revolution

The 1905 Revolution

The 1905 Revolution

Reasons for Revolution � � � People were denied freedom of religious and political

Reasons for Revolution � � � People were denied freedom of religious and political expression Famine was a constant worry for the peasants Proletariat worked an average of 11 hours a day (10 on Saturday) Heavy taxation Incompetent governance and poor handling of the Russo-Japanese War Opposition from all sectors of society and a growing intelligentsia

The course of events � � 22 January 1905, Father Gapon led a peaceful

The course of events � � 22 January 1905, Father Gapon led a peaceful demonstration to the Winter Palace The march induced panic in the police forces who fired on the protestors Up to 200 marchers may have been killed with hundreds more injured Nicholas II was absent from St. Petersburg at the time but the events gravely damaged his reputation as the ‘Little Father’

Disorder Spreads � � � � Disorder spread immediately and increased as the year

Disorder Spreads � � � � Disorder spread immediately and increased as the year progressed Strikes occurred in major towns and cities Terrorism (organised by the SR) spread to the countryside Russian government was blamed for the defeat in Japan and Phleve was assassinated by SR Public buildings and large estates were attacked; land property seized by peasants Minorities began to demand autonomy & Jews pressed for equal rights Kadets set up the Union of Unions

The Potemkin Mutiny � � � June 1905 – sailors on the battleship Prince

The Potemkin Mutiny � � � June 1905 – sailors on the battleship Prince Potemkin elected a representative (Peter Vakulenchuk) to complain about food rations Vakulenchuk was shot by the captain which led to a full-scale mutiny by the crew. The ship was sailed to Odessa where an antigovernment strike was taking place – the sailors were welcomed as heroes Troops were ordered to disperse the crowds gathered at the harbour. The civilian death toll ran into thousands Potemkin was eventually sailed to and abandoned in a Romanian port hoping to find sanctuary

Soviets � � � By the autumn of 1905 there was a general strike

Soviets � � � By the autumn of 1905 there was a general strike In a number of cities workers formed themselves in to an elected Soviet, or council These began as organisations which demanded better working conditions Potential for political agitation soon recognised by revolutionaries Trotsky became chairman of the St Petersburg soviet and organised several strikes in the capital

Government Recovery � � � Concession was unavoidable, but by giving ground the government

Government Recovery � � � Concession was unavoidable, but by giving ground the government intended to divide the opposition forces. . . To appease the Liberals, Witte advised the Tsar to issue the October Manifesto in which he accepted a legislative duma and passed various civil rights The peasants were pacified by the scrapping of the mortgage repayments The workers were not appeased – suppression was used: after a 5 day siege the St Petersburg Soviet was stormed and the ringleaders arrested By spring 1906 Russia was stable, and the Tsar dismissed Witte – a sign of things to come

Stolypin and Land Reform � � � The government ‘bought off’ the peasants by

Stolypin and Land Reform � � � The government ‘bought off’ the peasants by scrapping mortgage repayments on their land – know as derevolutionising the peasants Farmers were urged to replace the strip system with fenced fields like those in Western Europe A Land Bank was set up to provide funds for peasants to buy up more land Stolypin intended to create a group of prosperous, productive peasants whose new wealth would turn them into natural supporters of the tsarist regime Large scale voluntary resettlement of peasants to populate the empire’s remoter areas and turn them into food-growing areas

Did he succeed? � � Stolypin stated he needed 20 years to bring results

Did he succeed? � � Stolypin stated he needed 20 years to bring results in rural areas His assassination in 1911 allowed him personally only 5 years and the coming of war in 1914 allowed Russia only eight The deep conservatism of the peasants made them slow to respond – in 1914 the strip system was still widespread Only about 10% of the land had been consolidated into farms in 1914

The Dumas 1906 -14 Election results Party/Group 1 st Duma 1906 2 nd Duma

The Dumas 1906 -14 Election results Party/Group 1 st Duma 1906 2 nd Duma 1907 3 rd Duma 1907 -12 4 th Duma 1912 -17 Mensheviks 18 47 - - Bolsheviks - - 19 15 SRs - 37 - - Labourists 136 104 13 10 Kadets 182 91 54 53 Octobrists 17 42 154 95 Progressives 27 28 28 41 Rightists 8 10 147 154 National Parties 60 93 26 22 Others - 50 - 42 TOTAL 448 518 441 432

The First and Second Dumas � � � � Creation of a bi-cameral duma

The First and Second Dumas � � � � Creation of a bi-cameral duma Fundamental Laws coincided with its opening Tsar stated he had the right to veto any law After just 2 months the first duma was dissolved Frustrated Kadets and Labourists reassembled at Vyborg (Finland) and urged the Russian people to refuse to pay tax and to disobey conscription orders Scattered violence followed and martial law was imposed The second duma opposed land reform and the way the imperial army was organised – thus was again dissolved prematurely by Nicholas II

The Third and Fourth Dumas � � � Second duma was rendered docile by

The Third and Fourth Dumas � � � Second duma was rendered docile by the doctoring of the electoral system. Peasants and proletariat lost the franchise Third and fourth dumas heavily dominated by right wing parties and groups Stolypin was able to get land reforms through Dumas did manage to pass bills that set up schools for poor children and national insurance for industrial workers Fourth duma astutely pointed out that there was dissatisfaction among the masses in 1913 but was unheeded by the tsar

Lena Goldfields Incident 1912 � � � Demands from miners for better pay and

Lena Goldfields Incident 1912 � � � Demands from miners for better pay and conditions resisted by employers Employers appealed to the police to arrest strike leaders as criminals The police moved in and troops fired on and killed a large number of miners The Okhrana had acted as agents provocateurs in order to identify the organisers of the strike Guchkov, leader of the Octobrists, said in 1913: “A peaceful, painless transition from the old condemned system to a new order” had failed He warned that the tsar’s blindness was driving the Russian people closer to revolution.

Summary � � � � War Discontent Revolution? Concessions and October Manifesto Duma –

Summary � � � � War Discontent Revolution? Concessions and October Manifesto Duma – toothless? Slipping back to old ways. . . Outbreak of War