Russi A Cold Bed Of Political Activism - 2114 Words

The year was 1905 and the setting was Russia, St. Petersburg to be exact. Russia was a hot bed of political activism with the recent uprising of many revolutionary factions clamoring for reform through their own different view points over the final years of the 19th century. There were the liberals, led by Paul Miliukov whose goal it was to establish a constitutional monarchy much like the one in place in England, the Social Democrats whose views were shaped by the writings of Karl Marx and Engels, and the Social Revolutionaries identifying with the peasantry. To the Social Democrats the key to overthrowing the Tsarists was through a revolution led by the working class. However, early on in the twentieth a rift developed in the Social†¦show more content†¦The repercussions of the massacre of Kishinev had turned the autocracy down a path of no return, Tsar Nicholas had alienated the masses and doomed the dynasty to revolution. Minister Mirski, Plehve’s successor would quickly resign in disgust over the Tsar’s unwillingness to commit to a path toward change to regain the populaces favor combined with failed expansion in the east leading to the Ruso-Japanese war in 1904. In the war Tsar Nicholas saw a golden opportunity to rally the country behind the government as it had done in the past. Despite an appeal to his subjects to fight for â€Å"faith, the Fatherland, and the Tsar† there was little enthusiasm for the war due to the conduct of the autocracy leading up to the conflict.3 Following many terrible defeats of the Russian army in the East and the resultant world wide embarrassment at Russia’s famed military being humiliated, cries for revolution