1. Can you survive the Revolution of 1905?
Learning Objectives:
To understand how the Tsar survived the revolution of 1905
Niusha!
If I fail to return or am killed, Niusha, do not cry. You’ll get along somehow to begin with, and then you’ll find work at a factory. Bring up Vaniura and tell him I died a martyr for the people’s freedom and happiness.
Your loving father and husband, Vania.
Starter:
Read the letter of the left, written by a worker who went to the 1905 Demonstrations. What can it tell you about his aims?

2. 1905 Revolution Bloody Sunday Russo-Japanese War Social causes
Political causes
Economic causes
Review–
Can you draw links between any of the long term causes? Even better, can you explain them?
Which individual long term cause is the most important and why?
Which category of long term cause is the most important and why?
1905
Revolution
Discuss – can students make any links between the factors / students could draw a similar diagram and explain how each factor contributed to the start of the revolution
Bloody Sunday
Russo-Japanese War

3. Timeline of the 1905 Revolution
Jan 1905 – Bloody Sunday – Port Arthur surrenders to Japan Feb 1905 – Assassination of Grand Duke Sergei – Major strike involving 400,000 workers April 1905 – Peasant uprising, Kursk province May 1905 – Battle of Tsushima June 1905 – Mutiny on Potemkin Battleship Oct 1905 – General strike in cities / Peasant uprisings – Creation of St Petersburg Soviet – October Manifesto
(1905 in Lego)

4. Can you survive the Revolution of 1905?
You are Nicholas II. You are a die-hard autocrat (rule by one).
Remember, you think Russian government should be based on the MONARCHY, RUSSIANESS and ORTHODOXY (religion).
You have faced an uprising form many parts of your society:
Peasants
Workers
Political parties
Soldiers.
Strikes, riots and violence have been breaking out all over Russia for almost a year.
This activity has a worksheet to go with it

5. In October, the Soviet of Workers deputies and the Mensheviks set up a general strike. It was well organised, proving the ability of the workers to organise themselves
This has put a lot of pressure on the Tsar and the whole system to do something. Do you:
Put down the strike using force. Try to crush the revolution and set up a military dictatorship
Listen to the advice of your minister Witte. He has just arrived back from successfully negotiating peace in the R-J war, and is suggesting that you should introduce reforms.

6. b) = 5 points. The Tsar introduced the October Manifesto
a) = 0 points. This is what the Tsar actually wanted to do, but he was persuaded not to.
b) = 5 points. The Tsar introduced the October Manifesto
Freedom of speech and conscience
Freedom from unwarranted arrest
An elected Duma (parliament) that could block laws
The liberals see this as ….
The St Petersburg Soviet voted to end the strike…..
The more radical parties……
….because the workers are suffering terrible hardships
…dismiss it as a trick.
….the first step towards a new, constitutional government

7. After November, the worker’s organisations became over confident
After November, the worker’s organisations became over confident. The St Petersburg Soviet formed a militia of 6000 men, and started interfering in the running of the railways.
The government started arresting members of the ST Petersburg Soviet under the direction of Minister of the Interior Durnovo.
This has led to an armed uprising in the streets of St Petersburg, led by the Social Democrats. The workers are massing in the workers’ district of Presnia.
Do you:
Use the army to crush the uprising. Follow this up with a brutal crackdown on any opposition with beatings, mass arrests and executions. You can use the militia of the ‘Union of Russian People’. This is a new party with a pro-government Terrorist wing the ‘Black Hundreds’.
Allow the workers some reforms too. Have a meeting with the Social Democrats and consider giving in to some of their demands.

8. a) = 5 points. This is what the Tsar did. It was very effective.
b) = 0 points. The Social Democrats are revolutionaries. They wanted an end to the Tsarist system and a government of workers. The Tsar would never have agreed to their demands.

9. The crackdown had proved to be a turning point in the revolution:
The Liberals were convinced that they should be satisfied with what had already been achieved in the October Manifesto. They withdrew from any further action
The middle classes were grateful for the Tsar for stopping the violence. Using the Okhrana to arrest people in the streets, the Tsar managed to restore order
“Thank God for the Tsar, who has saved us from the people”

10. Crush them with the army?
In the countryside the peasants are angry following a poor harvest in There is anger among peasants that they did not receive anything in the October Manifesto. Violence has broken out. In Tambov, 130 estate buildings have been burned down.
Do you:
Promise to halve, and then remove, the redemption payments for peasants, as well as setting up a Peasant Land Bank to help them buy land?
Crush them with the army?

11. a) = 1 points. This is what the Tsar tried
a) = 1 points. This is what the Tsar tried. Unfortunately it didn’t bring order to the countryside
b) = 0 points.

12. Unrest has broken out again in 1906
Unrest has broken out again in Hundreds of government officials are assassinated by the Socialist Revolutionaries.
Do you:
a) Give all the peasants more land, and ship supplies of food and grain from abroad
b) Send the army out into the countryside and beat and intimidate the peasants into submission

13. a) = 0 points. The Tsar could not have afforded (financially or politically) to do this.
b) = 5 points. The Tsar sent the troops out into the countryside to punish the peasants

14. Once again the use of force proved to be effective in restoring order
As many as 15,000 people were executed and 45,000 were deported
By 1906, courts had been set up to deliver fast executions (within 24 hours of sentencing)
Peasants were hanged in their hundreds
The old order was back and resistance died down.

15. Why did the Tsar survive the 1905 revolution?
1. Least important
Decide where to put each cause of Nicholas II’s survival on the spectrum
Add a specific example of this cause in action
Explain why you have put the cause on the spectrum in that place
Most important
Extension Qs
Can you find and draw on any links between the causes?
Why do you think some historians have questioned whether or not the 1905 revolution should be called a revolution?
A. Once it had been paid and fed, the army supported the Tsar. The loyal army was crucial in crushing unrest in rural and urban areas
B. The government used repressive measures and brutal violence against resistance.
C. In a period of deep financial trouble, Witte secured another foreign loan, which was enough to pay the soldiers.
D. The middle classes wanted a return to order
E. The October manifesto split the Liberals and the revolutionary parties by giving the Liberals what they wanted
F. The various groups – workers, peasants, liberals, Socialist Revolutionaries and Social Democrats never worked together or coordinated their actions to bring him down

16. The middle classes wanted a return to order
Once it had been paid and fed, the army supported the Tsar. The loyal army was crucial in crushing unrest in rural and urban areas
The various groups – workers, peasants, liberals, Socialist Revolutionaries and Social Democrats never worked together or coordinated their actions to bring him down
The middle classes wanted a return to order
The October manifesto split the Liberals and the revolutionary parties by giving the Liberals what they wanted
The government used repressive measures and brutal violence against resistance.
In a period of deep financial trouble, Witte secured another foreign loan, which was enough to pay the soldiers.

17. The middle classes wanted a return to order
Once it had been paid and fed, the army supported the Tsar. The loyal army was crucial in crushing unrest in rural and urban areas
The various groups – workers, peasants, liberals, Socialist Revolutionaries and Social Democrats never worked together or coordinated their actions to bring him down
The middle classes wanted a return to order
The October manifesto split the Liberals and the revolutionary parties by giving the Liberals what they wanted
The government used repressive measures and brutal violence against resistance.
In a period of deep financial trouble, Witte secured another foreign loan, which was enough to pay the soldiers.

18. Essay: Explain why the 1905 Revolution failed?
Identify 4 or 5 key reasons to base your paragraphs around. Try to prioritise them in order of importance.
As you plan, it is important to form your ideas about the significance of these reasons. Remember that, whichever one you decide as the most important, you need to convince the examiner that your chosen reason was the key one.
Remember: P E L

19. Evaluation and judgement – how serious were events and why
Evaluation and judgement – how serious were events and why? What judgements can you make about the course of the revolution?
Analysis and links – pick apart the issues – what is suggested? What does it mean? Can you link points?
Comprehension – describe the events to show understanding
Outline of events

20. Homework – due
Read pages in Lynch and make notes on the significance of the 1905 Revolution
How significant do you think the 1905 Revolution was? Explain in your own words
Reasoning

21. Plenary
“The 1905 Revolution failed because of a lack of unity amongst revolutionaries.”
“The 1905 Revolution failed because Nicholas split the opposition”
“The 1905 Revolution failed because…”
Which do you agree with?

22. Plenary
A text message from… … Father Gapon … The ghost of Grand Duke Sergei … Leon Trotsky
Reflectiveness