Explain why there were tensions in Russia in the early 1900.

The population of the Russian Empire constituted of about 125 million people. However, only 55.65 million were Russians. The rest of the Empire was inhabited by Ukrainians, Poles, Byelorussians and Jews. All these different peoples came from different cultures and had their own language. This variety in population made getting information across the country much harder. As well as having different language, these people had different religions which include: 70% Christian Orthodox; 9% Roman Catholic; 11% Muslim; 4% Jewish. Virtually, the whole population of Russia was situated in the fertile land in the southwest. This meant that population density was very high and cities and towns were overcrowded.

However, Russia's low industrial output was not the only problem for the peasants and factory workers. In 1900, Russia was an autocracy led by a Tsar who had a total control over the country. The Tsar was Nicholas II.

Along with his family and all other nobles, he was very wealthy and lived in luxury. Other wealthy groups of people were:

* Upper class- Church leaders and lesser nobles.

* Commercial class- Bankers, factory workers all known as capitalists.

The remainder of the population were working class people and peasants. They were very low paid and worked long hours. The peasants had to pay redemption payments in the course of 49 years. In this way, they had their own land which was actually owned by the village commune (mir). These unfair terms of pay meant that peasants found it harder and harder to support their families. All the peasants suffered appalling lifestyles. The conditions in factories and on the fields were harsh and food was limited. Working hours often exceeded those allowed by the law. The peasants' homes were tiny houses where there were a lot of people living, making them completely full.

Tsar Nicholas did not pay much interest in dealing with his people. He relied on advisors and other politicians to do this job for him. Most of all, he used the Tsarist secret police, the Okhrana, to track down and destroy his enemies. In cases of peasant protests, Tsar Nicholas sent brutal soldiers called the Cossacks, to deal with the peasants.

The Church manipulated the people by telling them that it was a sin to criticize the Tsar.

The whole standard of living for workers and peasants was outrageous. The strict rules by which people lived were merciless. The tension spread around the Empire and it wasn't long before it led to some serious and deciding conflicts.