Why did the 1905 revolution fail to overthrow the Tsarist regime?

Although the army were the most important reason for the continual Tsarist rule, the opposition were however disunited and had no clear leader. It can be argued that if they did have even two strong leaders like in 1917 that they would have overthrown the Tsar, all of the opposition groups – the workers, middle classes, students and wider public did not combine to create a co-ordinated and effective opposition. As none of the main revolutionary groups took part, the Social Democrats because Lenin was not currently in Russia and the Social Revolutionaries were a terrorist organisation with a wide variety of views thus all had conflicting ideas, as their party was 50% peasantry it can be said they played a role. However, nothing was directly accredited to the party. In fact the only concrete element of the revolution the political parties were involved in was the forming of the Union of Unions in May 1905, because of this the opposition had no clear leader instead the revolution was just a large outbreak of rage. One can say that if the revolution had a clear leader, who led with a clear message that all opposition agreed with, they could have overthrown the Tsar, albeit the army would have still stood in their way. For this reason it can be said that the disunity of the opposition was not as important as the loyalty of the Army, we cannot know if the revolution would have been successful because of the size, loyal and strength of the army.  Furthermore, the Middle Classes who were formed via Witte’s industrialisation were scared of Anarchy; one former Marxist (Peter Struve) said ‘Thank God for the Tsar who saved us from the people’ after he opened his home to peasants who subsequently ruined his home. Many Middle Class liberals lost interest after the Manifesto as they felt that they had got what they wanted.  As the Middle Classes repented revolutionary action and wanted to return to authority and control it meant Nicholas had disabled another opposition segment this considerably aided Nicholas, the new middle classes were the one group who appeared to know where to hit the Tsardom because they were brought together by the modernisation.  It has to said that if the opposition did have a clear leader and the middle classes would have collaborated the outbreaks of violence would have been more revolutionary and not just rage, thus placing more pressure on the Tsar. However Nicholas dealt with it well, through the army he broke up the soviets early so they couldn’t plot revolutionary action, once again this reinforces the fact that the army were the most crucial reason for the continuation of the Tsarist Regime.

Although the army silenced much of the opposition, Nicholas had to do something extra to lull them, in October 1905 he issued the October Manifesto; in the manifesto he promised to: create legislative Duma, give Freedom of Speech and Worship, and allow Political Parties and Trade Unions. The peasants and later workers were the main force behind the revolution, as expected when they occupy 84% of the population. The October Manifesto hadn’t stopped Land Redemption Payments; a wave of peasant unrest reached its peak in November. The deterioration of the economy in the country side played a role, but the peasants were also angered because they hadn’t received the land deal in the Manifesto, because of this the government promised to cut redemption payments in half by January 1906 and completely by January 1907, it also set up a peasant bank, but this wasn’t enough and in 1906 disturbances broke out again. Government officials were assassinated by Social Revolutionaries but like as previously mentioned the Army with the help of the Okhrana intimidated the peasants into submission.  Through this then, Nicholas dispersed another opposition group and this time a large one, the submission of the peasants was a major step in continuing control and highlights how important the Army were as one of the four pillars. In addition to the Peasants and workers the Liberals were pleased with Manifesto, they got what they wanted – legal political parties and a legislative Duma thus they didn’t need to continue to revolt. Although not on the same level of importance, the fact that the liberals were frightened of change benefited Nicholas because it meant there was one less opposition group who wished for freedom.  

As Nicholas had to pay both for the Russo-Japanese war and for the army’s loyalty back in Russia, the regime was in deep financial trouble. The cost of the war and falling tax revenues were driving the government to the brink of financial collapse. However, Witte secured a huge loan, largely from France in 1906 – this helped stabilise the economy and meant that the government could go ahead with the plans from the October Manifesto. This further pleased those against the Tsardom, as what they got from the manifesto was actually going to happen.

In all, the Tsarist Regime had managed to survive the 1905 Revolution with its institutions intact, the brutal way via the army that the Tsar Supressed his people meant that he lost their already straining affection and respect which was replaced by fear alone. It is clear that without the army the Tsarist system would have disintegrated under the pressure applied by the albeit unorganised and somewhat disunited opposition. Although it can be argued that the disunited opposition were the overriding reason for the lack of revolutionary success, the revolt itself never truly had revolutionary characteristics, instead suggests Beryl Williams that it was sparked by sudden depression and war rather than fundamental economic causes and was more to do with freedom and dignity, than the policies of political groups or socialist parties whose activists were often seen as outsiders divorced from local concerns. Whereas previous to the revolution Nicholas’ policies were that of a school boy during the revolt he acted carefully and wisely as to avoid a full scale revolution however it can be said that from giving in to the demands to the people sparked a new period of people power which resulted in the 1917 revolution.