| Introductory Essays xxii
The consequences of the Russian Revolu-
tion of 1905 therefore vary depending on the
political perspective. In the context of the
Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, the events of
1905 demonstrated that the Social Demo-
crats were indeed tapping into a momentous
popular position that gained support with
each repressive action from the tsar. The
events of 1905 for the Bolsheviks and Men-
sheviks highlighted the need to continue
work for the eventual proletarian revolution.
Furthermore, interpreting events within the
context of Karl Marx, minor political and
social adjustments by the tsar did nothing
to alter the corrupt system. Violence and
revolution stood as the only means for real
change in the corrupt and oppressive regime
of the tsar.
The year 1905 therefore provided the
Bolsheviks with keen insights and experi-
ences from which they could learn and adapt
for the eventual collapse of the tsar and his
empire. Though they would suffer harsh re-
pression and exile in the 12 years between
the events of 1905 and the heady days of
October 1917, the events throughout 1905
served their cause, and their agenda did
indeed forever alter the regime of Tsar
Nicholas II. Yet, more work had to be done
in order to foster additional support through-
out Russia for the Bolshevik cause. The ten-
sions that existed in 1905 would only be
magnified as Russia entered World War I,
and by 1917 the conditions between March
and October provided the Bolsheviks with
the opportunity they had wanted in 1905: the
end of the tsar’s empire.
Sean N. Kalic
The 1917 Revolution
The Russian Revolution of 1917 occurred in
two stages. There was the February Revolu-
tion, which overthrew the tsar’s regime and
resulted in the Provisional Government, and
then the October Revolution, which estab-
lished the Bolsheviks as the governing
power over what became the Soviet Union.
These two movements differed in their scale
of popular support and the ideologies that
drove the primary actors. The February
Revolution was not a long-planned social
movement. Rather, it was a spontaneous
reaction to unrest. It brought together myr-
iad political parties and classes to overthrow
Tsar Nicholas II and the Romanov monar-
chy. Due to the differences in the political
objectives of the participants, there was not a
clear plan for establishing the state to follow
each of these significant revolutions. Some
wanted to maintain a constitutional monar-
chy, others sought a democratic government,
and some groups aimed to leverage this into
an opportunity to start a worldwide socialist
revolution. These diverging hopes and po-
litical objectives frustrated efforts of the
Provisional Government to build a stable
base of power to unify Russia under its
authority.
Background to the Revolution
Prior to the turmoil of 1917, there were sev-
eral indications of unrest overlooked by the
tsar. Some of these problems were vestiges
of the 1905 revolution that reforms did not
address. Others were new issues brought
about by World War I. By February 1917,
Tsar Nicholas’s inability to address the con-
cerns of his people brought a quick end to
one of Europe’s longest-reigning families.
Before discussing the specifics of the 1917
revolution, it is important to understand the
remaining problems of the 1905 revolution
that Tsar Nicholas II left unaddressed.
After the violent repression of protests led
by Father Gapon known as Bloody Sunday
in 1905, the tsar’s government granted some
accommodations to the protestors. These
proposed reforms, published in a document
