East European Studies

The Revolution of 1905 is a significant part of the history of Russia. The situation of the country in the years before this revolution was filled with hardships and sufferings because of the mismanagement of the governing body. Even before 1905, several parts of Russia have already begun defying their governments because the harsh conditions and cruel practices brought about by the autocratic rulers caused grave damages to the lives of the people. Peasant leaders from many towns led their people away from their government until it reached a point where the ruling Tsar, along with his local force, could no longer do anything to fully control the situation. The feeling of desperation and injustice that the people who opposed the autocracy practiced in their land was one of the main causes of the very important revolution of 1905.

It was really the difficult conditions that many people were experiencing sparked the idea of revolution. People from the lower classes such as the workers, peasants, middle class professionals, and soldiers experienced maltreatment and injustice. For instance, before the revolution, workers and peasants were deprived of their civil rights and were not given the chance to vote. The hours of work required in factories lasted for almost half a day and for six times a week. The workers are not even well compensated and treated fairly. The wage they earned continued to decline continuously. Moreover, the workers were left out of the  culture, society, and political process,  and this led to a feeling of desperation in most of the population. This agitated ideas of liberalism, equality, and freedom in the hearts of people from different regions and social standings. Hence, the movements of the revolution included  ending the autocracy and establishing a democratically elected legislative assembly responsible for appointing the government. Soldiers, on the other hand, also had their own mutinies, although they were not linked to the movements of the workers and peasants because their rebellion was more directed to their superiors only. The workers, peasants, and even the soldiers were motivated by the idea that through rebellion and protests, they could successfully turn around their positions in life.

As mentioned, the workers and peasants were greatly dissatisfied by their place in the society and wanted to elevate their situation. Thus, the rebellion against the Russian system of governance became more pronounced as the months passed. Different leaders from all regions and sectors of life continued to strengthen the claim of the revolution. However, the labor force and the peasantry lacked the uniting factor to tumble down the government. The movements of the labor force never coincided along the revolts of the peasants. It would have been an easier victory for them and a graver problem for the autocracy  had the two protest movements developed simultaneously in 1905. The revolution was far from being resolved as both the two groups were not able to complete achieve their own goals despite their admirable efforts. The disparity in ideas and reasons of the working class and the peasants were also greatly reflected in their way of fighting or revolting  Workers wanted political change because there was no other way to improve their condition and achieve some degree of human dignity, while intellectuals wanted a transformation of society.

Given the events that were taking place in Russia during this era, the Revolution of 1905 became almost inevitable. The incident of Bloody Sunday, a historical event in Russia wherein hundreds of people from the labor force were killed and wounded, was what really pulled the trigger of the revolution.  Bloody Sunday ignited a series of strikes and protests all over the empire,  and the people who joined the revolution came from all sectors of the society, even professionals and students. The impact of this incident was very massive and the protests paved way for the demands of the people to be heard. Some the demands of these sectors included a limit of eight hours of work, normal wage rates, the transfer of landownership to those who worked on it, freedom of speech, press, association, and worship, the opportunity of free universal primary education for everyone, and the separation of church and state.

Also, the causes of this revolution eventually led to other bigger revolutions. Not all issues were completely resolved at once, and Russia had to face other wars in the following years. In fact, the same sentiments of the people in 1905 caused larger revolutions in 1917. Nevertheless, the Revolution of 1905 was indeed pivotal in changing the course of Russia s history, specifically the social system and governance of the country. According to Ascher, the best conclusion that could be derived from the 1905 Revolution is that  wherever nationalism was already a significant force, it tended to stimulate and intensify hostility toward the autocratic regime. Because of the seeds of nationalism, equality, and freedom that were planted in the hearts of the workers, peasants, and soldiers of Russia, they learned to defend themselves against the assault and injustice of their current authorities.
   
The Revolution of 1905 can most appropriately be described as the beginning of Russian Tsar s succumbing to the demands of his people. It was a turning point in Russian history because the labor force and the peasantry began recognizing their capabilities and rights. Although it was not able to achieve all its goals at once and the struggle continued to rise after a few years, the Revolution of 1905 will always be significant to history because it was a revolt that was caused by sufferings, hardships, and pleas of the people for freedom and fairness in the society.