2.5 FORCE OR MOVEMENT QUESTION

A workers’ movement led by Father Gapon resulted in an unforgettable event called Bloody Sunday in which a number of people were gunned down in St Petersburg 1905.  There were a variety of reasons for this event which included: few workers rights and a low standard of living for the masses.  The consequences of this dramatic Sunday mass march and killings were wide reaching and impacted both the Tsar and the people for a number of years.

The 1904 Russian-Japanese war was supposed to show the revolutionaries at home (in Russia) the extent of the Tsar’s power.  Minister of Interior Plehve said, “In order to hold back a revolution we need a small victorious war.  The war itself was a serious drain on the Russian economy and instead of the Russian’s winning the war, they were clearly defeated by the Japanese.  This did little to create confidence in or fear of the Tsarist regime.

The war in the Far East had placed significant pressure on the Russian people at home.  This resulted in the transportation of much food, fuel and warm clothing being sent to the war front.  Therefore many people went with  so that the soldiers could be provided for.   This led to serous resentment of the war and the Tsar himself.

Unrest in the cities led to Father Gapon a Russian priest (formerly a member of the Okhrana or secret police) set up a trade union to consider workers needs and concerns.  In January 1905 after a strike he organized an unarmed peaceful march to the Tsar with a petition requesting that Nicholas II meet the people’s basic needs.

The peaceful march was held on Sunday 22 March 1905 led by Father Gapon and requested a number of things: an eight hour working day, improved working conditions, elections for a constituent assembly, freedom of speech, and an end to the draining war with Japan.  The march was a peaceful request from loving subjects to ‘Papa’ Tsar.  This was shown by the way in which the march was conducted.  Wearing Sunday best families joined the march, carrying holy icons and portraits of the Tsar they sang hymns as well as the national anthem. 

When the marchers arrived at the Tsar’s Winter Palace they were met with resistance.  The palace guards commanded the masses to disperse, but they refused.  The guards retaliated by opening fire on the people.  The Tsar’s diary entry for the day recorded that, “Troops had to open fire…many were killed and wounded.”

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