Bloody Sunday
The Match
that Ignited the Revolution of 1905
In 1905, Russia found itself losing a war to the Japanese, Czar Nicholas II
losing support, new political groups arising, and major discontent amongst the
citizens (especially the lower class).
All of these things lead to the horror and death of
thousands of people, particularly women and children, in January 1905.Russia entered into a war with the Japanese in 1904. The Russo-Japanese War erupted over the area of Manchuria in China. The two disputed ports in Manchuria, Port Arthur and Dairen, were both warm water ports. Both the Japanese and the Russians had their eyes on the territory. The Japanese went to war with the Chinese before the Russians over the territory (the Sino-Japanese War 1894-1895). Japan won the war and received land claims in China, including Manchuria. However, the French and Germans stepped in and made a statement claiming that if Japan received land in China then there would be dire consequences. Japan ended up backing down and losing Manchuria. Japan never forgot the insult.
In 1896, to make things worse the Russians created a friendship treaty with the Japanese. In this treaty Russia and China formed a Russian-Chinese bank in Manchuria. Russia was also allowed to build a cut off route of the Trans-Siberian Railway through Mukden, in Manchuria, to Vladivostok. The last part of the treaty was Russia agreed to help the Chinese if they were attacked by a “third party”. Everyone knew that the “third party” was Japan.The final insult to the Japanese came from another Sino-Russian deal in 1898. In this deal Russia was given land at the end of the Liaoyang Peninsula. Also, the Russians were given formal rights to Dairen and Port Arthur; the same land territory that had been taken away from the Japanese. This deal made the Japanese furious and they prepared to go to war.
Before Japan entered into a war with Russia, they needed a “power” friend to aid them in a peace conference. The Anglo-Japanese Treaty of 1902 gave Japan the friend that they needed. The British signed a treaty with Japan promising aide against a “third party” (Russia) and Britain began to train the Japanese navy, which became very good. All of this created the scene for the Russo-Japanese war.
The Russo-Japanese War erupted in 1904. Russia was not fully prepared to involve itself in a war. The Trans-Siberian Railway was not completed and would not be until 1905, so Russia's army was not fully mobile. Russia’s inability efficiently mobilize caused them to lose battles to the Japanese and to eventually lose the war itself.
Political groups such as the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks took advantage of the peasant discontent and tried to turn the peasants against the Czar and more towards radicalism and liberalism.
Peasant discontent due to the war, food reparations, and political groups set the stage for the event in January 1905, which would later be called “Bloody Sunday”. Sunday, after church in January 1905 a group of protestors (many women and children) proceeded to the Winter Palace to demand from the Czar food and better working conditions. Upon reaching the entrance of the Palace the peasants were met by the Okhrona and decided to meander for awhile. Eventually the crowd decided to push further ahead. The Okhrona began to open fire on the crowd. The response of the Okhrona created more-violent demonstrations. When everything was over hundreds of people were dead (many women and children) and hundreds injured.
Bloody Sunday was seen as a horror to many Russians. As a response to Bloody Sunday, a general protest occurred. The workers stopped working, businessmen refused to open for business, and soldiers refused to follow orders. Russia could not operate and was shut-down until things changed.
The events of Bloody Sunday opened Russia up to a revolution. The stage was set for Russia to enter into a new form of government. The citizens lost all of their faith in the Czar. Now all they needed was someone to lead them into a new government, a new Russia.
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Works Cited
“Bloody Sunday” Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. 1993-1997. Microsoft Corporation.
“Bloody Sunday” The Encyclopedia Americana International Edition. 1999 Grolier Incorporated
"Bloody Sunday" Encyclopedia.com
Written by: Renée Johnson
Web Editor: Gordon Lathrop