The 1905 revolution was no real threat to Tsardom

Within Russia the people had begun to loose respect for the autocracy. After the massacre of Bloody Sunday, the faith and trust that was once held for the tsar was damaged beyond repair. One historian said “Bloody Sunday snapped the “sacred bond” which had united the people with their tsar”. The effect of the 1905 revolution was a psychological change in the people. It would pose a huge treat to the tsar. This was especially evident in the 1917 revolution because he could no longer rely on the support of his people or his army.

With the new radical thoughts running through the peasants mind strikes and uprisings soon followed along with national revolts. All these events were exacerbated by the defeat of the Russian Armies in Manchuria, in May 1905. These put pressure on to the tsar to make change to the way in which he ran the country. He had to decide to either control the masses by creating a military dictator ship or to grant the sought after constitution.  He decided to be indulgent and on 17th October 1905 he passed the October Manifesto. This granted civil rights such as freedom of speech but more importantly a legislative government. The Duma was to be set up in accordance to this manifesto. In doing this the Tsar conceded to pressure to give in to the revolutionaries violence and as a result his authority had been challenged would be many more times.

        After 1905, there were considerable changes in Russia. For one, there were improved communications due to the completion of the Trans-Siberian railway. The Tsar allowed foreign publications to send their materials in to Russia and through the communication network, Lenin and other revolutionary ideas floated to the remotest of villages. Everybody now knew Lenin's socialist party and was suitably impressed by the works in "Pravda", their magazine. Therefore the effect that the 1905 revolution was suppressed by the changes that the tsar made after it. The people of Russia started to see changes in their society which would make their standard of living far greater.

By the time of the October Manifesto, in 1905, the Tsar promised more political power in the hands of the people through a national duma. Because of these changes the tsar must have seen his power fading away as an inevitable 2nd revolution loomed up.