Bloody Sunday sparked a wave of disturbance all over the country. There was an increase in the number of industrial strikes which eventually became a general strike in October 1905. There were massive peasant uprisings all over the country led by Socialist Revolutionaries, accompanied by acts of terror. Even as far as the army was concerned, troops deserted and sailors mutinied on board the ‘Potemkin’. The war was supposed to stabilise autocracy and improve their regime through feelings of patriotism, but the opposite happened. The defeat of the Russian armies shook the Czar to its foundation. The army was discredited, which encouraged the revolutionary movements to come out to the streets and erect barricades. This marked the birth of the Soviets. The Soviets were revolutionary committees which consisted of representatives of peasantry, workers, and several unsatisfied soldiers. There were also known as ‘the soviets of workers and soldiers deputies’.
As a response to the 1905 Revolution the October Manifesto was issued on October 17, 1905, by Nicholas II. The October Manifesto promised the establishment of a representative assembly (The Duma), which ultimately persuaded the Liberals to pull out of the revolution. Zemestva and Mir were then functioning. Several other political parties were formed and recognised. The manifesto also pacified the peasantry by promising the cancellation of their redemption payments.
Internally, the October Manifesto was used to pacify the population, and on the external front the Russo- Japanese war was formally ended by the Treaty of Portsmouth. The provisions of the Treaty include that Japan now gained the lease of the Laiotung Peninsula, Port Arthur, and the section of the Manchurian Railway which served it. Russian troops were pulled out of Manchuria, which was returned to Chinese sovereignty. Russia was forced to accept that Korea was under Japanese sphere of influence. The only territory which actually belonged to Russia, i.e. the Southern Sakhalin Islands, was also handed over to Japan. Therefore all Russian hopes of expansion in the Far East ended, and there was a complete change in the foreign policy.
Thus, this changed foreign policy coupled with Russia’s policy of pan-Slavism, was to have far reaching consequences for Russia. Pan Slavism was a movement in the mid 19th century which aimed at unifying Slavic people from all over the world. Russia had a natural affinity towards the Slavs because the ethnic origin of the Russians was also that of Slavs. The Slavs inhabited South-Eastern Europe, in the nation states of Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Austria- Hungary. The ultimate result of Pan Slavism was tension in the Balkan area as there was rivalry between Austria- Hungary and Russia for ascendency over the new states.
The impact of the Russo Japanese War was mixed, producing a combination of results. The war exerted a considerable impact on the Russian foreign policy, and Russia now asserted its ambitions to the West. Due to the war, Bloody Sunday took place, the Treaty of Portsmouth was signed, the October Manifesto was issued, Pan Slavism as a policy arose, and there was change in internal politics. However, the impact of the war on revolution was limited. The revolutionaries failed to achieve their full objectives due to the limited nature of the conflict. Overall, the Russo Japanese war shook the regime, but not enough to cause its collapse. The war led to a Revolution and military defeat, and eventually contributed to the outbreak of the First World War, which when Russia joined, became a struggle which really did destroy the base of Czarism.