the 1905 revolution and the duma

Question 1

who led the way for the protests up to October

Answer 1

middle-class liberals

Question 2

how did the liberals keep the pressure on the government

Answer 2

• holding conferences
• practicing petitions
• forming themselves into new organisations

Question 3

what is an example of a new organisation that the middle-class liberals created to keep pressure on government

Answer 3

the union of unions, a broad association of groups representing doctors, engineers, lawyers and teachers

Question 4

who did the supporters of the union of unions come together with and what did they create

Answer 4

supporters of the union of unions came together with the supporters of the league of liberation to create the constitutional Democratic Party (kadets)

Question 5

who became organised in their protests in the latter part of 1905

Answer 5

the urban workers

Question 6

who began the general strike of 1905 and who ddi it spread too

Answer 6

• began by painters
• spread to railway workers and beyond which threw the government into a crisis

Question 7

what did the general strike spawn

Answer 7

St Petersburg Soviets

Question 8

features of the St Petersburg Soviets

Answer 8

• sought to defend the interests of the workers in the capital
• the St Petersburg Soviets would enjoy a higher profile for a while than any other workers’ organisation in Russia

Question 9

how did the St Petersburg Soviets function

Answer 9

• workers in the city’s factories, shops and trade inions sent representatives to the soviet
• 30 member executive committee was formed which included Bolsheviks, Mensheviks and SRs
• would become dominated by the Menshevik faction under Leon Trotsky

Question 10

what actions did the St Petersburg Soviets take

Answer 10

• formed an armed militia to protect the city from counter-revolutionaries
• distributed food and money to the needy
• published a newspapers that campaigned for a 8 hour working day and proclaimed support for polish rebels and navy mutineers

Question 11

examples of general strikes in January-june 1905

Answer 11

• Latvia, 70 killed when strikers clashed with troops in Riga
• Poland, 100+ killed in street fighting in Warsaw in may
• mutineers from battleship Potemkin joined forces with striking workers in Odessa

Question 12

examples of general strikes in July-December 1905

Answer 12

• Finland, general strike
• localised army mutinies in St Petersburg and Moscow
• mutiny at the Kronstadt naval base near St Petersburg

Question 13

when did large-scale disorder amongst peasantry break out

Answer 13

November-December, when it seemed that the regime had lost its nerve

Question 14

when and how did violence in the countryside continue

Answer 14

• continued into 1906 and 1907
• mainly taking the forms of attacks on the property of landlords

Question 15

examples of violence in the countryside

Answer 15

• in March 1905 there was an outbreak of disorder in the Black Earth region
• in July 1905, SRs formed the All-Russian peasants union as a rural counter-part to the Union of unions

Question 16

what were the three key elements of the August manifesto

Answer 16

• new elected assembly was to be called the Duma
• assembly was to be purely advisory or consultative, so it would be given the opportunity to discuss proposed new laws, but it would have no power
• there was to be a new complex electoral system favouring peasants and land-owners

Question 17

what were the reactions to the August manifesto

Answer 17

• some ultra-moderate liberals thought it offered a basis for further negotiations
• almost everyone on the opposition dismissed it

Question 18

what were the promises made in the October Manifesto

Answer 18

• fundamental civil freedoms would be granted, such as the freedom of conscience, speech, assembly and association
• participation in the Duma will be granted to those classes who were deprived of voting powers
• no law can come into force without approval by the state duma
• representatives of the people will be given the opportunity to take real part in the supervision of the legality of government bodies

Question 19

how did the existence of the first Duma undermine the authority of the Tsar

Answer 19

• members of the Duma had the right of free speech, parliamentary immunity and the right to question ministers
• body provided a forum for criticism of the regime

Question 20

what was the general composition of the first Duma

Answer 20

• masses that were neither conservative or revolutionary, they just wanted change
• however the Duma was dominated by the Kadets

Question 21

what policies did the Duma deputies propose that caused trouble for the Tsar and his government

Answer 21

• abolition of the law of 1881 on emergency regulations
• universal suffrage
• Duma becoming a sovereign legislative body

Question 22

why did the Tsar hesitate in dissolving the first Duma

Answer 22

• he feared violence
• peasants were becoming increasingly politicised
• political terrorism was at a high pitch

Question 23

what was the general composition of the second Duma

Answer 23

• consisted of more parties
• dominated by Trudoviki

Question 24

what problems did Stolypin have to face in regards to the second Duma

Answer 24

• left-wing parties refused to work with him
• right and left-wing deputies engaging in slanging matches

Question 25

what were the terms of the 1907 Electoral law

Answer 25

• really the old law but with numerous changes
• like changes in the number of seats assigned to particular regions, social groups and ethnic minorities
• 1% of the electorate now elected 300 out of 442 deputies

Question 26

how did the third duma differ from the previous Dumas

Answer 26

more conservative and complaint