Revolution 1905 1907 causes stages results. Main events of the first Russian revolution

Russian Revolution 1905-1907 refers to the number of late bourgeois revolutions. 250 years separated it from the English revolution of the 17th century, more than a century from the Great French Revolution, more than half a century from the European revolutions of 1848-1849. The first Russian bourgeois revolution differed from its predecessors in European countries Oh. This was primarily due to the fact that the economic development In Russia by the beginning of the 20th century, the severity of class contradictions, the degree of political maturity of the proletariat were significantly higher than in the West on the eve of the first bourgeois revolutions.

The immediate causes of the revolution were the economic crisis of 1900-1903. and Russian japanese war. 1905 began with a big strike of workers at the Putilov factory in St. Petersburg. The reason for the revolution was the events of January 9, when the priest Gapon, who was connected simultaneously with the Socialist-Revolutionaries and the Okhrana, organized a procession of workers to the Winter Palace to present the petition to the Tsar. It set out demands to improve working conditions, introduce political freedoms, convene a Constituent Assembly, etc.

About 140 thousand people, including old people, women, children, festively dressed, came out on Sunday morning with icons and portraits of the king. With hope and faith in the sovereign, they moved to the Winter Palace. They were met with gunfire. As a result, about 1,200 people were killed and over 5,000 wounded. The senseless and brutal massacre shook the country.

After January 9 (“Bloody Sunday”) protest strikes took place in many cities. In St. Petersburg, the workers began to build barricades. Strikes, demonstrations, clashes with the troops swept across the country.

The alignment of political forces

The main issue in any revolution is the question of power. In relation to him, various socio-political forces in Russia united in three camps. The first camp consisted of supporters of the autocracy: the landowners, the highest ranks of state bodies, the army, the police, and part of the big bourgeoisie. They advocated the creation of a legislative body under the emperor.

The second camp is liberal. It included representatives of the liberal bourgeoisie and the liberal intelligentsia, the advanced nobility, the petty urban bourgeoisie, office workers, and part of the peasants. They proposed peaceful democratic methods of struggle and advocated a constitutional monarchy, universal suffrage and a legislative parliament.

In the third camp - revolutionary-democratic- included the proletariat, part of the peasantry, representatives of the petty bourgeoisie, etc. Their interests were expressed by the Social Democrats, Socialist-Revolutionaries and some other political forces. They advocated the demolition of the autocracy and the establishment of a democratic republic.

Revolution on the rise

From January to March 1905, about 1 million people took part in the strikes. In the spring and summer, revolutionary events intensified. During a two-month strike of workers in Ivanovo-Voznesensk, the first Soviet of Workers' Deputies in Russia was created, which became an organ of revolutionary power in the city.

On August 6, in the context of the development of the revolution, the tsar issued a Manifesto on the establishment of a legislative body - the State Duma. Under the electoral law, most of the population (women, workers, military personnel, students, etc.) was deprived of voting rights. Therefore, the supporters of the liberal and democratic camps came out in favor of a boycott of this Duma.

In October 1905, about 2 million people (workers, employees, doctors, students, etc.) took part in the All-Russian political strike. The main slogans of the strike were demands for an 8-hour working day, democratic freedoms, and the convening of a Constituent Assembly.

Manifesto October 17, 1905

Frightened by the further development of the revolution, Nicholas II signed the Manifesto on the abolition of the unlimited monarchy in Russia. The emperor considered it necessary to “grant the population the unshakable foundations of civil freedom”: inviolability of the person, freedom of conscience, speech, press, meetings and unions, representative government - legislative State Duma. Significantly expanded the circle of voters.

In the conditions of the upsurge of the revolution of 1905, the Manifesto was a concession to the autocracy, but it did not bring the desired reassurance.

Formation of new political parties

During the revolution, the "old" political parties (RSDLP and Socialist-Revolutionaries) were strengthened. At the same time, new parties emerged. In October 1905, the first legal political party in Russia was created - the Constitutional Democratic Party (Party of Cadets). The well-known historian P. Milyukov became its head. It included representatives of the middle commercial and industrial bourgeoisie. Soon after the Manifesto of Nicholas II, the Union of October 17, or the Octobrists, was created, a political party headed by the Moscow industrialist A. Guchkov. It included representatives of large landowners, industrial-financial and commercial bourgeoisie. Both of these parties stood for the speedy end of the revolution, for political freedoms within the framework of the Manifesto of October 17 and the creation of a constitutional-monarchist regime in Russia.

Performances in the army and navy

In the summer and autumn of 1905 there were mass demonstrations in the army and navy. In June, an uprising broke out on the battleship Potemkin. The sailors hoped that other ships would join them. Black Sea Fleet. But their hopes were not justified.

"Potemkin" went to the coast of Romania and surrendered to the local authorities.

In October - December, there were about 200 performances by soldiers in different cities, including Kharkov, Kyiv, Tashkent, Warsaw. At the end of October, a riot of sailors broke out in Kronstadt, but was suppressed. In November, the sailors of the cruiser Ochakov rebelled in Sevastopol. The ship was shot from fortress guns and sunk.

December armed uprising

It was the pinnacle of the events of 1905. About 6,000 armed workers took part in it. Up to 1,000 barricades were erected in Moscow. The tactics of the barricade struggle of the workers' squads were combined with the actions of small combat detachments. The government managed to transfer troops to Moscow from St. Petersburg, and the uprising began to weaken. Presnya, a working-class area near the Prokhorovskaya manufactory, resisted most stubbornly. On December 19, the uprising in Moscow was crushed. Many of its members were shot. With the help of troops, the government succeeded in suppressing the armed uprisings of workers in other Russian workers' centers (Sormov, Krasnoyarsk, Rostov, Chita).

National Liberation Movement

Revolutions of 1905-1907 sparked a national movement. Demonstrations and rallies demanding the equality of nations, granting national regions "internal self-government" took place in Poland and Finland. They were supplemented by demands for the right to receive education in their native language and the right to develop national culture, which were voiced in the Baltic States, Belarus, Ukraine and the Transcaucasus.

During the revolution, tsarism was forced to allow the printing of newspapers and magazines in the languages ​​of the peoples of Russia, as well as teaching in schools in their native language. National parties of a socialist orientation arose and actively operated - the Polish Party of Socialists, the Belarusian Socialist Community, the Jewish Bund, the Ukrainian Spilka, the socialists of Georgia, etc.

On the whole, the national movement in the border regions merged with the revolutionary struggle against tsarism.

I and II State Dumas

In April 1906, the State Duma solemnly opened in the Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg. It was the first legislative assembly of people's representatives in the history of Russia. Representatives of the bourgeoisie and the peasantry predominated among the deputies. The Duma put forward a project to create a nationwide land fund, including at the expense of part of the landlords' lands. This did not please Nicholas II. On his instructions, after having worked for three months, the First State Duma was dissolved.

The II State Duma began its work at the end of February 1907. The deputies were elected according to the old electoral law. She became even more naughty. Then, several dozen deputies were arrested on charges fabricated by the Okhrana in an anti-state conspiracy. On June 3, the Second State Duma was dispersed. The government introduced a new electoral law. Since it was adopted without the approval of the Duma, this event went down in history as the "June 3rd coup d'état", which meant the end of the revolution.

The results of the revolution

The revolution not only significantly changed the life of the country, but also influenced the change in the political system of Russia. A parliament was introduced in the country, consisting of two chambers: the upper - the State Council and the lower - the State Duma. But a constitutional monarchy of the Western type was not created.

Tsarism was forced to come to terms with the existence in the country of various political parties and the "Russian parliament" - the State Duma. The bourgeoisie was involved in the implementation of economic policy.

During the revolution populace gained experience in the struggle for freedom and democracy. Workers were given the right to form trade unions and savings banks, to participate in strikes. The working day was streamlined and shortened.

The peasants were equalized with other classes in civil rights; since 1907 redemption payments for land received by them under the reform in 1861 were abolished. However, the agrarian issue was not resolved in the main: the peasants still suffered from land shortages.

THIS IS INTERESTING TO KNOW

On the eve of Bloody Sunday, the capital's garrison was reinforced by troops called in from Pskov and Reval (Tallinn). An additional 30,000 soldiers were brought into St. Petersburg. The commanders convinced the soldiers that on January 9 the workers wanted to destroy the Winter Palace and kill the tsar. When workers from the outskirts moved towards the Winter Palace, the police and soldiers blocked their way.

At the Narva Gates, on the Petersburg side and Palace Square, the troops opened fire with volleys at the columns of workers. Following this, the workers were attacked by the cavalry, who cut them with sabers and trampled them with horses.

The government report, which was published in the press on January 12, indicated that during the events of January 9, 96 people were killed and 333 wounded.

References:
V. S. Koshelev, I. V. Orzhehovsky, V. I. Sinitsa / The World History New time XIX - early. XX century., 1998.

Lecture 46

Revolution of 1905-1907 in Russia: causes, main political forces, workers' and peasants' movement, anti-government protests in the army

The reasons:

By the beginning of the 20th century, the following contradictions became extremely aggravated in Russia, which were the causes of the first Russian revolution.

1) Contradiction between landowners and peasants. The land issue was the main socio-economic issue of the First Russian Revolution.

2) The contradiction between workers and capitalists over high degree exploitation of workers in Russia.

3) The contradiction between the autocracy and all segments of the population due to the complete political lack of rights in the vast majority of the country

4) The contradiction between the autocracy and all non-Russian nations and nationalities due to the policy of Russification pursued by the autocracy. The non-Russian nations and nationalities demanded cultural and national autonomy from the autocracy.

One of the main questions of any revolution is the question of power. In relation to him, various socio-political forces in Russia united in three camps.
First camp were supporters of the autocracy. They either did not recognize the changes at all, or agreed to the existence of a legislative advisory body under the autocrat. First of all, these are the reactionary landowners, the highest ranks of state bodies, the army, the police, a part of the bourgeoisie directly connected with tsarism, and many zemstvo leaders.
Second camp consisted of representatives of the liberal bourgeoisie and the liberal intelligentsia, the advanced nobility, employees, the petty bourgeoisie of the city, part of the peasants. They advocated the preservation of the monarchy, but constitutional, parliamentary.

AT third camp - revolutionary-democratic - included the proletariat, part of the peasantry, the poorest sections of the petty bourgeoisie, etc. Their interests were expressed by the Social Democrats, Socialist-Revolutionaries, anarchists and other political forces.

First Russian Revolution , which had a bourgeois-democratic character, lasted for 2.5 years - from January 9, 1905 to June 3, 1907.

Conventionally, the revolution can be divided into 3 stages:

I stage . January 9 - September 1905- the beginning of the revolution and its development along an ascending line.

II stage . October - December 1905- the highest rise of the revolution, the culminating point of which was an armed uprising in Moscow.

Stage III. January 1906 - June 3, 1907- the period of the descending line of the revolution.

The beginning of the 20th century for Russian Empire turned out to be a series of severe trials that determined its political appearance. An important role in the strategy historical development two key events played: the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 and the First Russian Revolution of 1905-1907. It was hard to imagine that the result would be so significant - later it will cause a change in course Russian history and global restructuring of public life. V. Lenin and I. Stalin referred to the events of that time more than once in their writings.

The emergence of discontent among the educated inhabitants of Russia began to arise long before 1905. The intelligentsia gradually realized that in all spheres of society there are problems that the state does not want to solve.

The prerequisites for the occurrence of the events of 1905-1907 can be divided into three groups:

Causes of the revolution

The main reasons include:

• The low standard of living of the people;
• Social insecurity of citizens;
• Untimely implementation of reforms (as a rule, with a big delay) by the authorities;
• The rise of the labor movement, the activation of the radical intelligentsia in the early 1900s;
• The defeat of Russia in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904, associated primarily with the mistakes of the commanding leadership and the technical superiority of the enemy.

The military defeat of Russia by the Japanese troops finally undermined the faith of the people in the strength of the army, the professionalism of the commanders-in-chief, and also significantly reduced the authority of state power.

The reason for the uprising was the mass execution of civilians who went to the sovereign to demand observance of their civil rights and freedoms. This day, January 22, went down in history under the name of Bloody Sunday. The reason for the demonstration was the dismissal of 4 workers of the Kirov plant for their disagreement with the policy of the state.

Main events

• January 9, 1905 - Bloody Sunday, the execution of peaceful demonstrators.
• June 14, 1905 - the uprising on the battleship Potemkin was suppressed.
• October 1905 - All-Russian October political strike, the signing of the "Manifesto of Freedoms" by the tsar.
• December 1905 - armed uprising in Moscow, climax.
• April 27, 1906 - the opening of a new authority - the State Duma, the birth of the parliament in Russia
• June 3, 1907 - the dissolution of the State Duma. The revolution ended in defeat.

Participants in revolutionary movements

Radical actions were simultaneously prepared by participants in three socio-political camps:

• supporters of autocracy. These people knew the need for reform, but without overthrowing the current government. This included representatives of the highest social strata, landowners, military personnel, and policemen.
• Liberals who wanted to limit the royal power in a peaceful way, without destroying it. These were the liberal bourgeoisie and the intelligentsia, peasants and employees.
• Revolutionary Democrats. They, as the side most affected by the economic crisis, actively advocated fundamental changes in the state system. It was in their interests to overthrow the monarchy. This camp includes peasants, workers and the petty bourgeoisie.

Main steps

When analyzing these events, historians identify several stages in the development of the conflict. Each of them was accompanied important points that determine the direction of further actions both on the part of the revolutionaries and on the part of the authorities.

• The first stage (January-September 1905) was distinguished by the scale of the strikes. Strikes took place throughout the country, which prompted the authorities to take immediate action. The result was also influenced by the mass actions of the army and navy in 1905.
• The culmination of the events of 1905 was the December armed uprising in Moscow - the most bloody and numerous during the entire conflict. This marked the second stage: October - December. The emperor created the first manifesto of the revolution - "On the establishment of a legislative body - the State Duma", which did not give the majority of the population the right to vote, therefore it was not approved by the revolutionaries. It was soon followed by a second manifesto, to the delight of political forces, "On the abolition of unlimited monarchy in Russia."
• At the third stage (January 1906 - June 1907) there was a decline and retreat of the protesters.

The nature of what is happening

The rebellion had a bourgeois-democratic character. Its participants advocated the establishment in Russia of those political, economic, social rights and freedoms that had long been established in Europe and hindered the development of the country.

Goals of the revolution:

• The overthrow of monarchism and the establishment of parliamentarism in Russia;
• Improving working conditions for workers;
• Return of land lost due to industrialization to the peasant population;
• Affirmation of equality among all segments of the population

Major political parties

The Social Revolutionaries and liberals became the driving forces of the revolt. The former belonged to the Socialist Revolutionary Party and advocated an aggressive and radical change in the existing system. This party was the largest. This included workers, peasants and the youngest representatives of the resistance to the authorities - students.

The Liberal Party and the Constitutional Democratic Party (the Cadets) differed in the level of education of their members. This included the most famous scientists and academicians, such as Vernandsky, Milyukov, Muromtsev and others. Liberals advocated a change in the constitutional order.

The views of the representatives of the RSDLP were divided into two opposing camps: the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks. They were united by the desire to organize an armed uprising.

Timeline of revolutionary actions

• January 1905 - beginning
• June-October 1905 - uprisings and strikes throughout the country
• 1906 - the decline of the revolution
• June 3, 1907 - suppression by the authorities

Consequences of the first Russian revolution

The revolutionaries achieved the fulfillment of some of their demands. Working conditions were improved, the autocracy was undermined, democratic rights began to gradually take root in public life.

The meaning of the revolution

The first bourgeois revolution was a shock to the world community. It generated a great resonance within the country. Peasants and workers realized what influence they could have on power and political life countries. There was a huge change in worldview - the people were shown life without autocracy.

Peculiarities

This is the first nationwide event in Russia directed against the established system. At the first stages, it was distinguished by cruelty - the authorities fought the protesters with particular zeal, shooting even peaceful demonstrations.

Thanks to the first speeches directed against the autocracy, the people began to realize the need for its overthrow.

Reasons for defeat:

• The main reason is the lack of full agreement between the protesters. The uprising had a nationwide character, it was attended by representatives of all segments of the population. Everyone had their own vision of a proper state;
• conflict of interests between the proletariat, peasantry and liberals;
• insufficient support for the army;
• the lack of a clear and structured system of actions among the revolutionaries.

Result and results

The main results include the relaxations adopted by the current government:

• introduction of democratic freedoms;
• permission to organize trade unions and parties;
• resolution of moderate opposition;
• salary increase;
• reduction of the working day to 10 hours;
• cancellation of redemption payments for peasants.

Lecture 47

Russia in 1907-1914 Stolypin agrarian reform

In the summer of 1906, the youngest governor of Russia, Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin, was appointed by Nicholas II as Minister of the Interior and then as Prime Minister.

Agrarian reform - was the main and favorite brainchild of Stolypin.

The goals of the reform.

1. Socio-political. To create in the countryside a firm support for the autocracy in the person of strong peasant farms (wealthy peasant proprietors).

2. Socio-economic. To destroy the community, giving the peasants the opportunity to freely leave it: to determine their own place of residence and the type of their activity.

3. Economic. To ensure the rise of agriculture, to accelerate the industrial development of the country.

4. Resettle the small-land peasants beyond the Urals, contributing to the more intensive development of the eastern regions of Russia.

Essence of reform.

Solve the agrarian question at the expense of the peasants themselves, leaving the landlords' lands intact, at the same time eliminating the basis for possible social conflicts.

The results of the Stolypin agrarian reform

Positive:

Up to 1/4 of the households separated from the community, the stratification of the village increased, the rural elite gave up to half of the market bread,

3 million households moved from European Russia,

4 million dess. communal lands were included in the market turnover,

Consumption of fertilizers increased from 8 to 20 million poods,

The per capita income of the rural population increased from 23 to 33 rubles. in year.

Negative:

From 70 to 90% of the peasants who left the community retained ties with the community,

Returned back to Central Russia 0.5 million migrants,

The peasant household accounted for 2-4 dess., at a rate of 7-8 dess. arable land,

The main agricultural tool is a plow (8 million pieces), 52% of farms did not have plows.

The yield of wheat is 55 pounds. from dec. in Germany - 157 pounds.

CONCLUSION.

Thanks to the successful course of the agrarian reform, by 1914 Russia had made great strides in economic and financial development, which allowed it to play a significant role in world politics. However, Russia's entry into the war and the subsequent defeat again threw the country back, increasing its gap from the leading European powers.

Lecture 48

The formation of political parties in Russia in the late XIX - early XX century

The workers and the growing strike movement with economic demands had a significant impact on the political life of the country. The peasant movement also grew. It was caused by the agrarian crisis, the political lack of rights of the peasantry and the famine of 1901. From 1900 to 1904 there were 670 peasant uprisings.

Opposition moods in the early twentieth century. embraced broad strata of the intelligentsia, the petty and middle bourgeoisie and students. The lack of freedom of public activity in Russia made it difficult to form legal political parties.

The consignment - this is the organization of the most active part of the class, which sets as its task the conduct of a political struggle for the interests of this class and most fully and consistently expresses and defends them. The main thing that interests a political party is state power.

At the beginning of the twentieth century. in Russia there were up to 50 parties, and in 1907 - more than 70. The largest and most influential among them were the following:

Illegal parties

Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs) in 1901 - 1902 - completed the unification of revolutionary organizations into the party. Its number is several thousand (by 1907 - up to 40 thousand). Newspaper "Revolutionary Russia". Party leader, program author, newspaper editor, leading theorist - Viktor Chernov.

The goal of the party is to build a socialist society through revolution, but society is not a state, but a self-governing union of productive associations, whose members receive the same income.

Tactics - a combination of political terror in the "centers" and agrarian terror (violent actions against the property or against the person of "economic oppressors") in the countryside.

RSDLP (Russian Social Democratic Labor Party) formed in 1903. at the 2nd congress.

The main task is to build socialism through social revolution and establish the dictatorship of the proletariat. At the III Congress, the party split into two parts: the Bolsheviks (leader V. Ulyanov (Lenin) and the Mensheviks - (Yu. Martov)). Martov opposed the Leninist idea of ​​the dictatorship of the proletariat, believing that the proletariat would not be able to play a leading role, since capitalism in Russia was in its initial stage of development. He believed that "the bourgeoisie will still take its rightful place - the leader of the bourgeois revolution." Martov shared Herzen's fears that "communism could become a Russian autocracy in reverse." At the party conference in Prague (1912), the final split took shape organizationally.

Legal parties

Union of the Russian people founded in 1905. The printed organ is the Russian Banner. (100 thousand people) Leaders - A. Dubrovin and V. Purishkevich.

Main Ideas Keywords: orthodoxy, autocracy, Russian nationality.

Main trends : acute nationalism, hatred of all "foreigners" and the intelligentsia. The bulk of the party members: petty shopkeepers, janitors, cab drivers, lumpen (people of the "bottom"). They created fighting squads - "Black Hundreds" for pogroms and murders of progressive public figures and revolutionaries. It was the first Russian version of fascism.

Constitutional Democratic Party of People's Freedom (Kadets). Created in 1905 (100 thousand people). Edition "Speech". Leader P. Milyukov. The Bourgeois Reform Party: An Evolutionary Path to Revolution.

Union of October 17 (Octobrists). 30 thousand people Edition "Word". Leaders: Guchkov and Rodzianko. Party of the big bourgeoisie. With the help of reforms, come to a constitutional monarchy coexisting with the Duma.

Conclusion: The creation of socialist and bourgeois parties is an indicator of a significant shift in the socio-political development of the country. The active part of the population realized the need to fight for the democratic rights of freedom.

Lecture 49

Russia at the turnXIX- XXcenturies (90sXIXcentury - 1905). Russo-Japanese War.

Causes and nature of the war

The Russo-Japanese War was one of the first wars of the era of imperialism. Its main reason is the clash of interests between Japanese and Russian imperialism. The ruling classes of Japan have been plundering China for many years. They wanted to capture Korea, Manchuria, to gain a foothold in Asia. Tsarism also pursued an aggressive policy in the Far East; the Russian bourgeoisie needed new markets.

Exacerbation of contradictions between Japan, Russia, England and the United States due to influence in China.

The construction of the Siberian railway by Russia (Chelyabinsk - Vladivostok) - 7 thousand km in 1891-1901, which caused discontent in Japan.

Russia's attempt to reduce the aggressive plans of Japan as a result of the Sino-Japanese war of 1894-1895. Russia demanded in an ultimatum (supported by Germany and France) that Japan give up the Liaodong Peninsula.

The conclusion of a defensive alliance between Russia and China against Japan, according to which:

a) the construction of the CER Chita - Vladivostok (through China) began

b) China leased the Liaodong Peninsula with Port Arthur to Russia for 25 years

The interest of European countries and the United States in the clash between Japan and Russia

II . Preparing Japan for War

The conclusion of the Anglo-Japanese treaty against Russia

Japan's construction of a modern navy in England

Britain and the United States helped Japan with strategic raw materials, weapons, and loans. France took a neutral position and did not support its ally - Russia.

Carrying out trial mobilizations, maneuvers, creating arsenals, training landings. The entire winter of 1903, the Japanese fleet spent at sea, preparing for naval battles.

Ideological indoctrination of the Japanese population. Imposing the idea of ​​the need to capture the "northern territories due to the overpopulation of the Japanese islands."

Carrying out extensive intelligence and espionage activities in the future theater of operations.

III . Russia's unpreparedness for war

Diplomatic isolation of Russia

In terms of the total number of troops, Russia surpassed Japan (1 million people against 150 thousand army), but the reserves from Russia were not brought up, and at the beginning of the war she put up only 96 thousand people.

Difficulties in the transfer of troops and equipment over 10 thousand km (At Lake Baikal Sibirskaya Railway has not been completed. The goods were transported by horse-drawn vehicles). FROM central Russia on the Far East only 2 divisions could be transferred per month.

The navy was dispersed, there were half the number of cruisers, and three times less destroyers than Japan.

Technical backwardness in armaments, sluggishness of the bureaucratic apparatus, embezzlement and theft of officials, underestimation of the enemy's forces, unpopularity of the war among the masses.

I V . The beginning and course of hostilities

Using the superiority of forces and the surprise factor on the night of January 27, 1904, without declaring war, 10 Japanese destroyers suddenly attacked the Russian squadron on the outer road of Port Arthur and disabled 2 battleships and 1 cruiser. On the morning of January 27, 6 Japanese cruisers and 8 destroyers attacked the Varyag cruiser and the Koreets gunboat in the Korean port of Chemulpo. In an unequal 45-minute battle, Russian sailors showed miracles of courage: on both ships there were four times fewer guns than the Japanese, but the Japanese squadron was seriously damaged, and one cruiser was sunk. The damage prevented the Varyag from breaking through to Port Arthur, Command both ships were transferred to French and American ships, after which the “Korean” was blown up, and the “Varangian” was flooded so that they would not get to the enemy.

Commanding Pacific Fleet Vice Admiral S.O. Makarov began intensive preparations for active operations at sea. On March 31, he led his squadron to the outer roadstead in order to engage the enemy and lure him under fire from coastal batteries. However, at the very beginning of the battle, the flagship Petropavlovsk hit a mine and sank within 2 minutes. Most of the crew died: S.O. Makarov, his entire staff, as well as the artist V.V. Vereshchagin, who was on the ship. After that, the fleet went on the defensive, as the commander-in-chief, mediocre Admiral E.I. sea.

On land, hostilities were also unsuccessful. In February-April 1904, Japanese landing forces landed in Korea and on the Liaodong Peninsula. Commanding land army General A.N. Kuropatkin did not organize a proper rebuff, as a result, the Japanese army cut off Port Arthur from the main forces in March 1904.

In August 1904, the first assault on Port Arthur took place. 5 days of fighting showed that the fortress could not be taken by storm, the Japanese army lost a third of its composition and was forced to move on to a long siege. At the same time, the stubborn resistance of the Russian soldiers thwarted the Japanese offensive near Liaoyang. However, Kuropatkin did not use this success and ordered a retreat, which made it easier for the enemy to launch a new attack on Port Arthur.

The second assault on Port Arthur in September 1904 was again repulsed. The defenders of the fortress, led by the talented general R.I. Kondratenko, fettered almost half of the Japanese forces. The counteroffensive of the Russian troops on the Shahe River at the end of September did not bring success. The third assault in October, the fourth - in November of Port Arthur did not bring victory to the Japanese, although the defenders of the fortress were 3 times smaller than the enemy forces. The constant bombardment destroyed most of the fortifications. On December 3, 1904, General Kondratenko died. Contrary to the decision of the Defense Council, on December 20, 1904, General Stessel surrendered Port Arthur. The fortress withstood 6 assaults for 157 days. 50 thousand Russian soldiers fettered about 200 thousand enemy troops.

In 1905, Russia suffered two more major defeats: land (in February near Mukden) and sea (in May near the Tsushima Islands). Further conduct of the war was senseless. The Russian army was losing its combat capability, hatred of mediocre generals grew among the soldiers and officers, and revolutionary ferment intensified. In Japan, the situation was also difficult. Lack of raw materials, finance. The United States offered Russia and Japan mediation for negotiations.

Under the peace treaty, Russia recognized Korea as a Japanese sphere of influence.

Russia transferred to Japan the right to lease part of the Liaodong Peninsula with Port Arthur and southern part Sakhalin Islands

The ridge of the Kuril Islands passed to Japan

Russia made concessions to Japan in fisheries

V I . Results of the Russo-Japanese War

1. Russia spent 3 billion rubles on the war

   Killed, wounded, captured about 400 thousand people (Japan - 135 thousand killed, 554 thousand wounded and sick)

   The death of the Pacific Fleet

   A blow to Russia's international prestige

   The defeat in the war hastened the beginning of the revolution of 1905-1907.

CONCLUSION:

The adventure of the tsarist government in the Far East revealed the rottenness of the autocracy, its weakening. The autocracy came to a shameful defeat.

Lecture 50

Russia in the First World War: the main military operations,

domestic political development, economics

The causes of World War I were the transition of the leading European countries to imperialism, the formation of monopolies, the pursuit of monopoly high profits, which pushed the capitalist states to fight for the redivision of the world, for new sources of raw materials and new markets.

On June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo, the Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were killed by a member of the national-patriotic organization "Young Bosnia" G. Princip. The monarchical circles of Austria-Hungary and Germany decided to use the assassination of the Archduke as a direct pretext for a world war.

This war was the result of inter-imperialist contradictions between two military-political blocs that formed in Europe in the late 19th - early 20th centuries:

1882 - Tripartite Alliance, which united Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy.

1907 - Entente uniting Russia, England and France.

Each of these countries had its own predatory goals, except for Serbia and Belgium, which defended the territories of their states.

It should be noted that wars are different - large and small, just and predatory, liberation and colonial, popular and anti-people, cold and hot, long and fleeting. There are also absurd ones. It was precisely such a bloody and brutal massacre that claimed millions of lives that began on August 1, 1914 with the declaration of war on small Serbia by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. All participants expected to carry out their military plans within 3-4 months. However, already from the first days of the war, the calculations of the leading military strategists on the lightning-fast nature of the war collapsed.

One of main events 20th century Russia - revolution of 1905. Briefly about this is described in each historical publication. The country was then ruled by Emperor Nicholas II, who had unlimited power. The society was not formed, there was no social policy, the liberated peasants did not know where to go. The head of state did not want to change anything, someone believes that he was afraid, and someone assumes that he did not want changes and hoped too much in God. What actually happened?

Moods in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century

The most numerous stratum of the population for this period is the peasants, 77% of the total number of people. The population grew, which provoked a decrease in the middle class, which at that time was already a small number.

Land ownership was communal, the peasant could not sell or give up the land. There was a vicious circle.

In addition, work was mandatory. The situation of the people worsened every day: unpaid taxes, debts, redemption payments, etc. drove the peasants further into a corner.

Work in the city did not bring income, despite inhuman conditions:

• the working day could last up to fourteen hours;
• for faults, the Ministry of the Interior could send a worker to exile or prison without investigation;
• huge taxes.

The beginning of the twentieth century was a period of demonstrations, they took place in the following cities:

• Moscow;
• Petersburg;
• Kyiv;
• Kharkiv.

People demanded freedom in political views, the opportunity and the right to participate in government elections, personal immunity, standardized working hours and protection of labor interests.

In the spring of 1901, workers at the Obukhov plant in St. Petersburg went on strike, then in 1903 a strike swept the south of Russia, about 2,000 workers took part. The document was soon signed by oilmen and protesters.

Despite this, in 1905 the situation worsened even more: the loss in the war with Japan exposed the backwardness in scientific and technical terms. Internal and external events pushed the country to change.

The standard of living of the peasants

The inhabitants of Russia, compared with Europe, were in a difficult position. The standard of living was so low that even the consumption of bread per capita was 3.45 centners per year, while in America this figure was close to a ton, in Denmark - 900 centners.

And this despite the fact that most of the harvest was collected in the Russian Empire.

The peasants in the villages depended on the will of the landowner, and they, in turn, did not hesitate to exploit them to the fullest.

Tsar Nicholas II and his role

Emperor Nicholas II himself played a major role in the course of history. He did not want liberal changes, but on the contrary, he wanted to further strengthen his own sole power.

When ascending the throne, the emperor said that he did not see the point in democracy and considered these ideas meaningless.

Such statements negatively affected the popularity of NicholasII, because liberalism was already actively developing in Europe in parallel.

Causes of the first Russian revolution

The main causes of the workers' uprising:

1. The absolute power of the monarch, not limited by other government structures
2. Difficult working conditions: the working day could reach 14 hours, children worked on a par with adults.
3. Insecurity of the working class.
4. High taxes.
5. Artificial monopoly, which gave the development of free market competition.
6. Lack of choice for peasants to dispose of the land.
7. An autocratic system that excluded citizens from political freedom and the right to vote.
8. Internal stagnation of the country's development.

The tense situation has been developing since the nineteenth century, the problems were not solved, but accumulated. And in 1904, against the backdrop of all the negative events and social unrest, a strong labor movement broke out in St. Petersburg.

The main events of the revolution of 1905

1. Historians believe the beginning of the revolutionary events on January 9, 1905. In the morning, a crowd led by Gapon, 140 thousand workers with their families, advanced to the Winter Palace to express their demands. They did not know that the king had left. The day before, having received the demands of the workers, Nicholas II got ready and left the city. Giving authority to the government and hoping for a peaceful outcome. When the crowd approached the palace, a warning shot was fired, but Gapon continued his offensive and military salvos followed, as a result of which dozens of people died.
2. The next stage is armed uprisings in the army and navy. On June 14 (27), 1905, the sailors on the cruiser Potemkin rebelled. Officers were captured, six of them were killed. Then they were joined by employees from the battleship "George the Victorious". The action was carried out for eleven days, then the ship was sent to the Romanian authorities.
3. In the autumn of 1905, during the week (from October 12 to October 18), about 2 million citizens went on strike, demanding the right to vote, tax cuts and better working conditions. As a result, the Manifesto of October 17 "On the improvement of the state order" was issued. The document reported on granting citizens the right to participate in the life of the country, the creation of assemblies and trade unions.
4. In May 1906, the first Soviet of Workers' Deputies was created. A little later, the organ became the main revolutionary engine.
5. At the end of the summer, on August 6, 1905, the first State Duma was convened. It was the first political body in the country elected by the citizens and the first birth of democracy. However, it lasted less than a year and was dissolved.
6. In 1906, the Council of Ministers was headed by Pyotr Stolypin. He became an ardent opponent of the revolutionaries and died during the assassination attempt. And soon, the II State Duma was dissolved ahead of schedule, it went down in history as the "Third of June Coup" due to the date of dissolution - June 3.

Results of the First Russian Revolution

As a result, the results of the revolution are as follows:

1. The form of government has changed - a constitutional monarchy, the power of the king is limited.
2. There was an opportunity for political parties to act legally.
3. The peasants received the right to free movement throughout the country, they were canceled redemption payments.
4. The situation of workers has improved: the working day has been reduced, sick days have been introduced, and wages have been increased.

People tried to convey to the government that the country and citizens needed change. But, unfortunately, Nicholas II did not share these views. And the natural result of misunderstandings and unrest in society was the revolution of 1905, briefly described in this article.

Video: a brief chronology of the events of Russia in 1905

In this video, historian Kirill Solovyov will talk about the true reasons for the start of the First Russian Revolution of 1905: