The October Manifesto 'Bloody Sunday' as the events of 9th January 1905 were immediately known, caused a storm of protest across the country. That innocent women and children, who were simply trying to hand in a loyal petition to the Tsar, should be gunned down in cold blood shocked the nation. The situation in Russia deteriorated. The city duma representatives met and demanded a constituent assembly and full civil rights for all. Eventually the Tsar published a cautious scheme for a consultative assembly, but which excluded most townspeople and all workers. It failed to satisfy anyone. Peasant violence was spreading alarmingly. The Tsar's opponents from all classes were now united. Faced with growing anarchy, the Tsar accepted. Cabinet government and appointed Russia's first Prime Minister, Count Witte. On 17th October 1905, Nicholas announced his October Manifesto: "The disturbances and unrest in St. Petersburg, Moscow and in many other parts of our Empire have filled Our heart with great and profound sorrow. The welfare of the Russia sovereign and His people is inseparable and national sorrow is His too. The oath which We took as Tsar compels Us to use all Our strength, intelligence and power to put a speedy end to this unrest which is so dangerous to the State. However, in view of the need to pacify the country, we have decided that the work of the government must be unified. We have therefore ordered the government to take the following in fulfilment of our unbending will: 1. Fundamental civil freedoms will be granted to the population including real personal inviolability, freedom of conscience, speech, assembly and association. 2. Participation in the Duma will be granted to those classes of the population which are at present deprived of voting powers. 3. It is established as an unshakable rule that no law can come into force without its approval by the State Duma and that the elected representatives will be given the opportunity to play a real part in the supervision of the legality of the activities of government bodies. We call on all true sons of Russia to remember their duty to their home and to help to put a stop to this unprecedented unrest and together with this to devote all their strength to the restoration of peace to their native land." 1) What does Nicholas say are the reasons for the Manifesto? 2) What are the signs that the Tsar only wants limited reforms? The Manifesto marked the end of the most serious problem for the regime - it had the effect of dividing the opposition forces. Some liberals immediately accepted its terms, and many peasants were pleased by the Tsar's follow up reduction of redemption payments (almost halved) after rural unrest on November 3rd 1905. The St. Petersburg Soviet of Workers called another general strike in November to press for an 8 hour day, but it was not supported by the middle class unions or many workers. The government seized the opportunity, arrested the Soviet leaders and closed the Soviet itself by military force. The Bolsheviks called on workers in other cities to strike in defence of their St. Petersburg colleagues. In Moscow, the call was answered. When police tried to prevent it, the workers threw up their barricades and the strike turned into a full scale revolution. Military units were sent and two weeks of street fighting followed, ending in the defeat of the rebels. Over one thousand workers died. Further troops were sent to put down peasant uprisings and strikes. Order was restored, although the way it had been done left a bitter legacy of hatred and mistrust. 3) What is the effect of the October Manifesto on the different groups in society? What is the end result? Alexander II introduced reforms because he believed them to be necessary for the good of Russia. 25 years after his death was marked by a rejection of reform and an attempt in some ways to turn back the clock. However, Russia could not be isolated from political and intellectual developments in the rest of the world. As Russia experienced the most rapid expansion in its trade an industry of any western nation, these groups gained an increasingly important economic position. They demanded a political voice.

The October Manifesto 'Bloody Sunday' as the events of 9th January 1905 were immediately known, caused a storm of protest across the country. That innocent women and children, who were simply trying to hand in a loyal petition to the Tsar, should be gunned down in cold blood shocked the nation. The situation in Russia deteriorated. The city duma representatives met and demanded a constituent assembly and full civil rights for all. Eventually the Tsar published a cautious scheme for a consultative assembly, but which excluded most townspeople and all workers. It failed to satisfy anyone. Peasant violence was spreading alarmingly. The Tsar's opponents from all classes were now united. Faced with growing anarchy, the Tsar accepted. Cabinet government and appointed Russia's first Prime Minister, Count Witte. On 17th October 1905, Nicholas announced his October Manifesto: "The disturbances and unrest in St. Petersburg, Moscow and in many other parts of our Empire have filled Our heart with great and profound sorrow. The welfare of the Russia sovereign and His people is inseparable and national sorrow is His too. The oath which We took as Tsar compels Us to use all Our strength, intelligence and power to put a speedy end to this unrest which is so dangerous to the State. However, in view of the need to pacify the country, we have decided that the work of the government must be unified. We have therefore ordered the government to take the following in fulfilment of our unbending will: 1. Fundamental civil freedoms will be granted to the population including real personal inviolability, freedom of conscience, speech, assembly and association. 2. Participation in the Duma will be granted to those classes of the population which are at present deprived of voting powers. 3. It is established as an unshakable rule that no law can come into force without its approval by the State Duma and that the elected representatives will be given the opportunity to play a real part in the supervision of the legality of the activities of government bodies. We call on all true sons of Russia to remember their duty to their home and to help to put a stop to this unprecedented unrest and together with this to devote all their strength to the restoration of peace to their native land." 1) What does Nicholas say are the reasons for the Manifesto? 2) What are the signs that the Tsar only wants limited reforms? The Manifesto marked the end of the most serious problem for the regime - it had the effect of dividing the opposition forces. Some liberals immediately accepted its terms, and many peasants were pleased by the Tsar's follow up reduction of redemption payments (almost halved) after rural unrest on November 3rd 1905. The St. Petersburg Soviet of Workers called another general strike in November to press for an 8 hour day, but it was not supported by the middle class unions or many workers. The government seized the opportunity, arrested the Soviet leaders and closed the Soviet itself by military force. The Bolsheviks called on workers in other cities to strike in defence of their St. Petersburg colleagues. In Moscow, the call was answered. When police tried to prevent it, the workers threw up their barricades and the strike turned into a full scale revolution. Military units were sent and two weeks of street fighting followed, ending in the defeat of the rebels. Over one thousand workers died. Further troops were sent to put down peasant uprisings and strikes. Order was restored, although the way it had been done left a bitter legacy of hatred and mistrust. 3) What is the effect of the October Manifesto on the different groups in society? What is the end result? Alexander II introduced reforms because he believed them to be necessary for the good of Russia. 25 years after his death was marked by a rejection of reform and an attempt in some ways to turn back the clock. However, Russia could not be isolated from political and intellectual developments in the rest of the world. As Russia experienced the most rapid expansion in its trade an industry of any western nation, these groups gained an increasingly important economic position. They demanded a political voice.