October Manifesto Facts & Worksheets

October Manifesto facts and information plus worksheet packs and fact file. Includes 5 activities aimed at students 11-14 years old (KS3) & 5 activities aimed at students 14-16 years old (GCSE). Great for home study or to use within the classroom environment.

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October Manifesto Worksheets

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Fact File

October Manifesto Resource 1
October Manifesto Resource 2

Student Activities

October Manifesto Activity & Answer Guide 1
October Manifesto Activity & Answer Guide 2
October Manifesto Activity & Answer Guide 3
October Manifesto Activity & Answer Guide 4
Table of Contents
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    Summary

    • The Tsarist state in the late 19th century
    • Outbreak of the Russian Revolution of 1905
    • Tsarist response to the revolution
    • Aftermath of the issuance of the Manifesto

    Key Facts And Information

    Let’s know more about the October Manifesto!

    Since the 15th century, the Russian Empire was ruled by the Tsars who upheld the Pillars of Autocracy to demonstrate their power. Tsarist autocracy posed little hope for political reform. By the late 19th century, revolutionary ideas started to take hold. The Russian Revolution of 1905 broke out and eventually threatened the stability of the empire. This forced Tsar Nicholas II to act and endorse the October Manifesto. Strikes and violence subsequently halted. Constitutional monarchy was adopted, but autocracy was soon restored. Radical opposition was suppressed, and the revolution was over by 1907.

    October Manifesto, 1905
    October Manifesto, 1905

    The Tsarist state in the late 19th century

    • In the 1800s, the Russian Empire maintained its tradition of autocratic rule, which originated in the 15th century. A series of Tsars, who possessed in principle authority and wealth, governed the diverse empire in this period. The Tsars upheld the belief that they had a divine right to rule Russia, and their position and authority had been granted to them by God.
    • The Tsarist government had evolved over a prolonged period. Tsarist authority was absolute and supported by several features known as the ‘Pillars of Autocracy’.

    Orthodox Church

    • It was headed by the Tsar, hence it both supported and was supported by the Tsarist autocracy.
    • The church reinforced Tsarist authority by urging the largely peasant population to accept autocracy.
    • Its governing council, known as the Holy Synod, functioned as a de facto government department.

    Army

    • This was used by the Tsar to enforce his power, as he was its supreme commander.
    • The Cossacks or the cavalry units were despatched at times of civil unrest.
    • It was one of the most feared military forces in Europe.

    Civil service

    • This assisted the Tsar in governing the empire.
    • It was dominated by members of the nobility or the royal family.
    • It had no reliable standard. In addition to low salary, promotion was based on years of service and not competence.

    Law

    • Autocracy and Tsarist authority were supported by the legal system.
    • There were no legal or constitutional means through which Tsarist power could be challenged.

    Okhrana

    • Russia’s police system primarily aimed to suppress subversive groups on behalf of the Tsar.
    • The Okhrana or the secret police was tasked with identifying political opponents or threats to the tsardom.

    Whilst the Tsarist state was influential, several factors presented a challenge to its power in this period:

    • The vastness of the Russian Empire rendered some of its most remote regions ungovernable. However, this also made it difficult for the opposition to the Tsar, as well as liberal and socialist ideas, to spread.
    • A number of ministers and state officials proved to be incompetent. Additionally, corruption and bribery were widespread.
    • The successive government’s refusal to implement reform led to the emergence of opposition groups. New beliefs were on the rise. Many believed that Tsarist autocracy would only be challenged through acts of rebellion.
    • The Tsarist methods to address these challenges included censorship, Russification and terrifying tactics such as exile, torture and murder.
    • The police suppressed books, newspapers and any material they considered unsuitable. 
    • The Russian culture was enforced upon the enormous numbers of ethnic minorities that lived in the empire.
    • People accused of opposing or criticising the state were immediately sentenced and exiled to Siberia.
    • Since 1613, the Tsars all descended from the House of Romanov. In 1894, Tsar Nicholas II inherited the throne from his father, Tsar Alexander III. Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra were rigid believers in autocracy. When they assumed power, similar to previous Tsars, Nicholas II and the people believed that he had a divine right. Despite his autocratic authority, historians describe him as an indecisive ruler.

    Outbreak of the Russian Revolution of 1905 

    • Political, economic and mass resentment against the tsarist regime of Nicholas II led to the Russian Revolution of 1905, also referred to as the First Russian Revolution. The combination of worker strikes, military mutinies, peasant unrest and political boycott was directed against the Tsar, the nobility and the ruling class. The following factors caused unrest across the Russian Empire in 1905:
      • Economic stagnation and hardships 
        • Both members of the peasantry and workers experienced economic discontent due to rapid industrialisation and urbanisation. 
        • Peasants were affected by widespread famine of the period, and many of them had no means to improve their situation.
        • Meanwhile, workers were impacted by industrialisation and the subsequent urbanisation, supported by Tsarist advisers. They suffered from poor working and horrendous living conditions. Furthermore, an economic downturn in the early 1900s proved disastrous for many workers who lost their jobs.
      • Rise of political opposition
        • Marxist ideas started to propagate throughout the empire from the 1880s. With the rise of Marxist ideology, many groups grew opposed to the Tsarist regime.
        • Many revolutionary groups contributed to the spread of strikes and protests throughout Russia.
      • Defeat in the Russo-Japanese War over control of Manchuria and Korea
        • Between 1904 and 1905, the Russo-Japanese War between the empires of Russia and Japan over the control of Manchuria and Korea took place. 
        • Nicholas II felt humiliated after the Asian defeat. The Baltic fleet was destroyed, and the already limited supply of grain was further depleted. 
        • The war marked the first defeat of a world superpower to an Asian nation. It also led to the unstoppable Japanese militarisation. 
      • Bloody Sunday (9 January [22 January, New Style] 1905)
        • On 22 January 1905, radical priest Georgy Apollonovich Gapon led a group of workers to the Winter Palace in St Petersburg to protest and present a petition.
        • In response, the Imperial Guard was ordered to surround the palace and deploy military forces in the city. Infantry and cavalry troops were ordered to halt marchers at any means. At around 10 to 11 am, the first shot was heard near the Narva Gate. 
        • About 200 people were killed and the event became known as Bloody Sunday.
        • The most significant impact of Bloody Sunday was the spread of strikes throughout the Russian Empire. It drastically changed the attitudes of the peasants and workers toward the Tsar. 
    • The Russian Revolution of 1905 was spontaneous and uncoordinated, wherein many groups voiced different sets of grievances. The revolution began in the cities yet the spirit of rebellion spread across the empire with remote peasant uprisings. 
    • 3–8 January About 120,000 workers went on strike in St Petersburg. 
    • 9 January Bloody Sunday occurred after about 150,000 workers protested against the Tsar. Many were shot by the Russian army. As a result, many were outraged and began spontaneous workers’ strikes.
    • February Strikes spread to Caucasus. On 18 February, Nicholas II ordered the creation of a consultative assembly for constitutional reform.
    • March Strike movements occurred in Siberia and the Urals.
    • August The first Conference of the Peasants Union was held in Moscow.
    • September Russia’s first General Strike took place in Moscow.

    Tsarist response to the revolution - the October Manifesto

    • The Russian Revolution of 1905 was at its peak by October, with a railroad strike that swiftly developed into a general strike in the majority of the large cities. Nicholas II initially resisted promising any reforms aimed at limiting the autocracy, as he believed that it was not his place to restrict a system set up by his ancestors. 
    Portrait of Nicholas II
    Portrait of Nicholas II
    • The Tsar’s advisers approached Sergei Yulyevich Witte in an attempt to save the country from total collapse. Witte laid down the reforms needed to placate the masses.
    • Nicholas II only accepted Witte’s demands after his cousin Grand Duke Nicholas threatened to shoot himself.
    • Consequently, the October Manifesto was issued on 17 October. It particularly stated that basic civil rights would be granted to Russian citizens. It included the following:
      • Freedom of speech, conscience, assembly, association and religion
      • Elections of the legislative body known as the State Duma and establishment of legislative rights
      • Introduction of universal manhood suffrage
      • Operation of the State Duma as the body through which all state laws must pass
    • Whilst the Manifesto stipulated improvements to individual rights and freedoms to the people, it did not provide assurance that the Russian government would function in a democratic manner. The Manifesto was essentially a statement of promise or intent, which made it not legally binding. With its suggested reforms in several core areas, a binding constitution was expected to follow. 

    Aftermath of the issuance of the October Manifesto

    • Nicholas II’s endorsement of the October Manifesto indicated his surrender to the advice of Witte and others, rather than a genuine initiative towards reform. The publication of the document was immediately followed by the end of strikes and violence, since its content satisfied the demands of the majority of citizens. While many were enthusiastic with civil liberties and the idea of representative government, several groups opposed the reforms declared in the document.Reactions to the Manifesto varied:
      • The Orthodox Church was upset by the freedom of religion clause, as it permitted people to practise other faiths.
      • Opposition to the Tsar became divided. Some were appeased by the Manifesto while others wanted more reforms.
      • As a protest against the Manifesto, the second Kishinev pogrom against the Jewish community began on 19–20 October.
      • Some regarded the Manifesto as a Tsarist scheme to thwart the revolutionary forces of 1905 while the regime consolidated its power and regrouped. 
    • The Manifesto was then followed by the adoption of a new government structure, with the Tsar remaining as the head of the government and assisted by the Council of Ministers, the State Council and the State Duma.
    • In April 1906, Nicholas II passed the Fundamental Laws, which upheld the Manifesto but also outlined the Tsar’s powers over the State Duma. As a result, the Tsar’s grip on power was more secure.
    • Strikes and violence re-emerged. With autocratic power restored, hundreds of armed revolutionaries were executed. Radical opposition was suppressed, and much of Russia was under martial law by 1906–07. This was only relaxed when the revolution concluded in 1907.

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    Frequently Asked Questions About October Manifesto

    • What was the October Manifesto?

      The October Manifesto was a political reform document issued by Tsar Nicholas II of Russia on 17 October 1905.

    • Why was the October Manifesto issued?

      The manifesto was issued to quell the growing unrest and revolutionary activity during the 1905 Russian Revolution. Widespread dissatisfaction with autocratic rule, poor working conditions, economic hardship, and defeat in the Russo-Japanese War fueled the revolution.

    • Did the October Manifesto end the 1905 Revolution?

      While the manifesto temporarily calmed the unrest and divided revolutionary forces, it did not end the revolution entirely. Strikes and protests continued, and many revolutionaries were dissatisfied with the limited reforms. The Tsarist government later used force to suppress the remaining opposition.