It is certain that the revolutions of both 1905 and 1917 were greatly influenced by the economic situation at the time as the ruins of the economy in 1905 left by the Russo-Japanese war meant that many Russians became dissatisfied with the situation and wanted change. The revolutions were a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread throughout the Russian Empire and included worker strikes, peasant unrest, and military mutinies.
However it could be argued that other factors such as war, both the Russo-Japanese and First World Wars had an impact also contributed as well as the unrest of the people living in Russia as well as the catalyst events such as Bloody Sunday that caused the revolutions. In the aftermath of the Russo-Japanese war the Russian economy was suffering.
The Tsar wanted to revolutionise the Russian economy to include more industry so it would become a more significant world power and to do this they needed money which they decided to raise by increasing taxes which hit the poorest people in society, particularly the peasants extremely hard and so they started to lose faith in the Tsar’s policies. This intensified after 1902 industry declined because most Russians were too poor from the tax increase to buy any of the new goods and services being produced in the cities which lead to factories having to close down many and jobs being lost.
Coincidentally in the country there was a dramatically reduced harvest from 12 million tonnes of oats to just 8. 8 million which left many hungry. This signalled the start of the unrest from Russian society and so many argue that it was an important factor that caused the 1905 revolution. The First World War also worsened Russia’s economic situation because production of luxuries and consumer goods had to be decreased in favour of war articles and basic food stuffs. For example the production of vodka was banned in favour of potatoes and rationing was introduced.
Agricultural production decreased because many farmhands and even horses were drafted into the army which worsened the economic situation as agriculture was a large part of the economy but the situation meant exports decreased and so this lead to the revolution as it caused resentment towards the government policies from the peasants which was shown when farmers later set fire to their landlord’s homes. However, as the war led to the decline in the economy in both 1905 and 1917 we have to consider this as its own factor in the start of the revolutions.
It could also be argued that a short term cause of the 1905 revolution was the Russo-Japanese War that was fought between 1904-05 when the Tsar wanted to take over Manchuria and Korea. He thought that the war would result in a swift victory as Japan was a small and weak country compared to Russia but it actually resulted in a humiliating defeat as the Tsar had underestimated their ability to build warfare machinery and their control of the seas. Russia on the other hand had limited food and resources available and had to transport all equipment though the 8,000 km long Trans-Siberian Railway which was extremely inefficient.
The disastrous result sparked protests resulting from anger and discontent with the government and led to the revolution because it highlighted the failures and weaknesses of the Tsar and so showed ordinary Russians that their country was being run badly and so led to them wanting change. A short term factor of the 1917 revolution was WW1. This was because 1. 7 million Russian soldiers died in the conflict and the war cost over $22 billion which was more than the national income from 1917.
After this the Tsar had lost support from a vital part of society- the Russian army as because he had led them to defeat they viewed him as weak and with poor leadership skills and morale continued to decrease which meant the country moved ever closer to revolution. An event which is viewed as the catalyst for the 1905 revolution is the Bloody Sunday Massacre in 1905 in St Petersburg and was the result of growing tensions and discontent at the poor working conditions, economic slump and war the Russian people were experiencing.
On 9th January 1905 150,000 people gathered at 6 assembly points to move in on the Winter Palace. It began as a peaceful protest by disgruntled steel workers and led by a Russian Orthodox priest, Father Gapon. The purpose of the protest was to present a petition to the Tsar to ask for reform. The petition stated “Oh Sire, we working men and inhabitants of St. Petersburg, our wives, our children and our parents, helpless and aged women and men, have come to You our ruler, in search of justice and protection… . Do not refuse to help Your people.
Destroy the wall between Yourself and Your people. ” The protest was only ever intended as peaceful but instead workers were shot by soldiers who panicked as they had never seen such a large crowd before, killing 200 and injuring 800 more. This meant that the popularity of the Tsar declined even further and with this his authority. So much so that the US ambassador to Russia said “The present ruler has lost absolutely the affection of the Russian people, and whatever the future may have in store for the dynasty, the present Tsar will never again be safe in the midst of his people. ”
