Russia’s foreign policy and the 1905 revolution

In Russia living standards were low and the working day lasted 12–14 hours; various groups campaigned for change: G. Plekhanov’s “Emancipation of Labour” group (1883), the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) formed in 1898, and its split into Bolsheviks and Mensheviks from 1903. On 9 January 1905 (old style; 22 January new style) workers in St Petersburg held a peaceful procession to hand a petition to the tsar; troops opened fire – “Bloody Sunday” – leading to strikes across the country, peasant unrest and a mutiny on the battleship Potemkin in summer. In the Manifesto of 17 October (30 October new style), Tsar Nicholas II promised civil liberties and a State Duma. The First Duma began work on 27 April 1906 (10 May new style) (448 deputies), the agrarian question being the main issue; the tsar dissolved it. The Second Duma was elected in 1907 and dissolved on 3 June, the same day the electoral law was changed so that landowners’ votes counted for more. From 1906 the parliament had two chambers: half the members of the upper house, the State Council, were appointed by the tsar. Dates here are given in the old (Julian) style then used in Russia, with the new style in brackets; in the 20th century the difference is 13 days. The revolution was not without results: trade unions were permitted and redemption payments for land were cancelled.