On June 14-25, 1905, during the outbreak of the First Russian Revolution (1905-1907), the first mass revolutionary action in the Russian armed forces took place on the battleship Potemkin of the Black Sea Fleet.

The battleship was laid down on October 10, 1898 on the slipway of the Nikolaev Admiralty in the city of Nikolaev. In September 1900, in a solemn ceremony, the squadron battleship "Prince Potemkin-Tavrichesky" was launched, and in the summer of 1902 it was transferred to Sevastopol for completion and armament. In terms of tactical and technical characteristics, the squadron battleship "Prince Potemkin-Tavrichesky" was the most powerful ship in its class in the Russian Navy.

The formation of the battleship's crew began almost simultaneously with its laying. For this purpose, the 36th naval crew was created, which trained naval specialists in various fields - artillerymen, machinists, miners. When the battleship entered service in May 1905, the crew consisted of 731 people, including 26 officers.

Close ties between the battleship’s crew and the workers of Nikolaev began almost from the moment the ship was laid down. When the command learned that illegal Bolshevik literature was being distributed among the sailors, the ship was transferred for completion to Sevastopol. It was during this period that social democratic circles began to appear in the Black Sea Fleet, led by the underground Central Naval Executive Committee of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (RSDLP), led by the Bolsheviks Alexander Petrov, Ivan Yakhnovsky and others.

It included the organizer of the Social Democratic group on the Potemkin, gunner Grigory Vakulenchuk. The Committee maintained constant contacts with RSDLP organizations in many Russian cities and took an active part in revolutionary events.

An armed uprising was being prepared in the Black Sea Fleet, and the committee planned to carry it out in the fall of 1905. This action was to become an integral part of the general uprising in Russia. But it turned out that on the Potemkin it broke out earlier - on June 14, when the battleship was testing its guns on the Tender roadstead of Odessa.

In the evening of the same day, both ships arrived in Odessa, where a general strike of workers was taking place. On June 16, Vakulenchuk’s funeral took place, which turned into a political demonstration. On the same day, "Potemkin" fired two artillery shots at the area of ​​the city where the authorities and troops were located. Additional military units were deployed to Odessa to suppress the revolutionary uprising.

On June 17, 1905, a government squadron of ships of the Black Sea Fleet was sent to pacify the rebels. It included the battleships "Twelve Apostles", "George the Victorious", "Three Saints", as well as the mine cruiser "Kazarsky". The government gave the order to force the Potemkin to surrender or sink the battleship. "Potemkin" came out to meet the squadron and, rejecting the offer to surrender, passed through the formation of ships. The “silent battle” ended in victory for the revolutionary ship: the sailors of the squadron refused to shoot at it, and the battleship “George the Victorious” went over to the “Potemkin” side. The squadron was withdrawn to Sevastopol.

The revolutionary battleships headed to Odessa, where they failed to obtain either provisions or water. After long meetings, it was decided to go to Romania.

On the evening of June 18, the battleship, accompanied by destroyer No. 267 ("George the Victorious" surrendered to the authorities due to a split in the crew) left for Constanta (Romania), but the Romanian authorities refused to provide the necessary products to the revolutionary ships, so they were forced to go to sea and follow Feodosia.

On June 20, before leaving Constanta, the sailors published appeals “To all European powers” ​​and “To the entire civilized world” in local newspapers, in which they explained the reasons and goals of the uprising.

On June 22, the battleship arrived in Feodosia, where regular units of the tsarist army and gendarmes were already waiting for him. A group of sailors who landed on the shore were fired upon by rifle fire. The ship had to go to Constanta again.

Arriving there on June 24, the sailors handed over the ship to the Romanian authorities, and the next day, lowering the revolutionary red flag, they went ashore as political emigrants.

On June 27, Romania returned the mutinous battleship to Russia. 10 officers and 200 sailors were transferred to the Potemkin from other ships, and it was towed to Sevastopol. The sailors who did not want to stay in Romania were arrested and brought to trial.

Most of the crew returned to their homeland after the February Revolution of 1917. In October 1905, the battleship Potemkin was renamed St. Panteleimon. In April 1917, the ship again became known as "Potemkin", and in May 1917 - "Freedom Fighter". In April 1919, it was blown up by interventionists in Sevastopol. After the Civil War of 1918-1920. "Potemkin" was raised, but due to severe damage it was dismantled.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

A new wave of the revolutionary movement arose in the summer of 1905. Up to 220 thousand people took part in political strikes associated with the celebration of May 1.

The strike of 70 thousand textile workers in Ivanovo-Voznesensk, which lasted 2.5 months, was distinguished by its large scale and organization. A Council of Commissioners was elected to lead it - one of the first councils of workers' deputies in Russia. The activities of the Council were directed by the Bolshevik Northern Committee of the RSDLP.

In June 1905, mass strikes and numerous demonstrations in Lodz developed into an uprising. For three days there were street and barricade battles with the tsarist troops in the city. The strikers, whose main weapons were stones and pavement slabs, suffered heavy losses. In protest against the massacre of Lodz workers, workers went on strike in Warsaw and other cities.

The peasant movement acquired a mass character. Discontent was growing in the army, especially in the navy, whose rank and file included many former workers imbued with socialist revolutionary ideas.

In the summer of 1905, the Social Democratic organization of the Black Sea Fleet (its governing body included a number of Bolsheviks) began preparing an uprising. But it broke out spontaneously, ahead of schedule.

On June 14, 1905, the sailors of the battleship Prince Potemkin Tauride, outraged by the inhumane attitude of the command, dealt with the most hated officers and raised a red flag on the ship. A ship's ship committee was elected, headed by mine operator Matyushenko.

The mutinous battleship, accompanied by the destroyer N 267 that joined it, arrived in Odessa, which was at that moment engulfed in a general strike.

The decisive events took place on June 17. Almost the entire Black Sea Fleet was directed against the most powerful battleship, receiving orders to capture or sink the Potemkin. The rebels sent their ship towards the squadron and cut through its formation twice. The sailors openly welcomed the Potemkinites.

Fearing an uprising on other ships, the command hastened to take them out to sea. One of the battleships - “George. Victorious" - joined the rebels, but was stranded by a non-commissioned officer to whom the sailors entrusted command. 1.1 days after the start of the uprising, the crew of the battleship “Prince Potemkin Tauride”, having used up supplies of coal and food, surrendered the ship to the Romanian authorities in Constanta.

The growing rise of the revolution exacerbated the political crisis in the country. The liberal opposition increasingly openly opposed the tsarist government. Even large capitalists proclaimed themselves supporters of popular representation.

“We cannot hold back the storm, but in any case we must try to prevent too great a shock,” one of the liberals frankly explained the reason for the “leftward movement” of the bourgeoisie.

In turn, European governments, fearing a further deepening of the revolution, put pressure on the autocratic government in favor of the immediate conclusion of peace between Russia and Japan.

The conclusion of the Portsmouth Peace made it easier for the tsarist government to fight the revolution. Shortly before this, the government of the Russian Empire, hoping to win over the liberal bourgeoisie, and with its help the peasantry, announced (August 6, 1905) the creation of the State Duma.

The electoral law, prepared by the Minister of Internal Affairs Bulygin, provided an absolute majority of seats in the State Duma to the landowners and big bourgeoisie. Workers and a significant part of the urban petty bourgeoisie were deprived of voting rights as they did not have the established property qualifications, and agricultural workers - as they did not have land ownership. The elections were supposed to be multi-stage.

The Duma was granted only the rights of a legislative advisory body. The liberal bourgeoisie was ready to be satisfied with these concessions. The Mensheviks, who shared the opinion of the liberals, offered to participate in the election campaign.

The Bolsheviks put forward the tactic of actively boycotting the Duma, viewing the boycott as a means of further developing the revolution, isolating the liberals and attracting the peasantry and petty-bourgeois strata of the city to the side of the proletariat. The struggle to disrupt the Duma elections resulted in an all-Russian political strike.

The first Russian revolution of 1905 - 1907 occurred as a result of a national crisis that became widespread. Russia during this period was practically the only state in Europe where there were no parliament, legal political parties, civil rights and liberties. The agrarian question remained unresolved.

The crisis of the imperial system of relations between the center and the province, the metropolis and national territories.

Deterioration of the situation of workers due to the intensification of the contradiction between labor and capital.

October - December 1905 - the highest rise,

The beginning of the revolution was the events in St. Petersburg, called Bloody Sunday. The reason for this was the strike of workers of the Putilov plant, which began on January 3, 1905 due to the dismissal of four workers - members of the organization “Meeting of Russian Factory Workers”. The strike, supported by the majority of workers at large enterprises, became almost universal: about 150 thousand people went on strike. During the strike, the text of a petition of workers and residents of the capital was developed to submit it to Nicholas II on Sunday, January 9.

It stated the disastrous and powerless situation of the people and called on the tsar to “destroy the wall between him and the people,” and also proposed to introduce “popular representation” by convening a Constituent Assembly. But the peaceful demonstration on the outskirts of the city center was stopped by troops who used weapons. Tens and hundreds of people were killed and wounded. The news of the shooting of the demonstration became a catalyst for the revolution. The country was swept by a wave of mass protests.

On February 18, 1905, a rescript appeared to the new Minister of Internal Affairs Bulygin, in which the tsar declared his desire to implement improvements in state procedures through the joint work of the government and mature social forces with the involvement of people elected from the population to participate in the preliminary development of legislative provisions. The Tsar's rescript did not calm the country, and the flurry of revolutionary protests grew. The autocracy did not want to give up power and made only small concessions, only promising reforms.

An important event in the spring - summer of 1905 was strike Ivanovo-Voznesensk textile workers, during which the first council of workers' representatives was created. During 1905, workers' councils appeared in 50 cities of Russia. Subsequently, they will become the main structure of the new Bolshevik government.

In 1905, a powerful peasant movement arose, which partially took the form of agrarian unrest, which was expressed in the pogrom of landowners' estates and non-payment of redemption payments. In the summer of 1905, the first nationwide peasant organization was formed - All-Russian Peasant Union, which advocated immediate political and agrarian reforms.

Revolutionary ferment gripped the army and navy. In June 1905, there was an uprising on the battleship Prince Potemkin-Tavrichesky of the Black Sea Fleet. The sailors raised a red flag, but did not receive support from other ships and were forced to leave for Romania and surrender to the local authorities there.

On August 6, 1905, a manifesto appeared on the creation State Duma, compiled by a commission led by Bulygin. According to this document, the Duma was supposed to be only legislative in nature, and voting rights were granted mainly to the propertied strata, excluding workers and farm laborers. A sharp struggle between various political forces unfolded around the “Bulygin” Duma, which led to mass protests and the all-Russian October political strike, which covered all the vital centers of the country (transport did not work, electricity and telephones were partially cut off, pharmacies, post offices and printing houses went on strike).

Under these conditions, the autocracy tried to make another concession to the social movement. On October 17, 1905, the tsar’s manifesto “On the Improvement of State Order” was issued. The manifesto ended with a call to help end “unheard-of unrest and restore silence and peace in our native land.”

Uprising in the fleet in Sevastopol and Kronstadt October - November 1905.

October 19, 1905 based The tsarist decree “On measures to strengthen unity in the activities of ministries and main departments” reformed the highest executive power. The post of Chairman of the Council of Ministers was introduced, and Witte was appointed to him, who was entrusted with the implementation of the manifesto of October 17, 1905. The development of constitutional principles for reforming the highest representative bodies of power in Russia continued. Later (in February 1906) the State Council was transformed from a legislative body into an upper house parliament, the State Duma became the lower house.

Despite on The publication of the tsar's manifesto and the titanic efforts of the authorities to stabilize the internal situation in the country, the revolutionary movement continued. Its apogee was the December armed uprising in Moscow. The Moscow Council of Workers' Deputies (formation of councils of workers' deputies in Moscow and St. Petersburg (November - December 1905)), which was dominated by the Bolsheviks, headed for an armed uprising, which was considered as a necessary condition for the transition to the next stage of the revolution. On December 7 - 9, 1905, barricades were erected in Moscow. Street battles between workers' squads and troops were fierce, but the preponderance of forces was on the side of the tsarist authorities, who suppressed the uprising.

In 1906, a gradual decline of the revolution began. The supreme power, under the pressure of revolutionary uprisings, carried out a number of reforms.

The first parliamentary elections in Russia took place, and on April 6, 1906, the First State Duma began its work. The activities of trade unions were legalized. At the same time, the revolution and social activity continued. The State Duma, which was in opposition to autocracy, was dissolved. As a sign of protest, 182 deputies representing socialist and liberal parties gathered in Vyborg and adopted an appeal to the population of Russia, in which they called for acts of civil disobedience (refusal to pay taxes and perform military service). In July 1906, a sailors' uprising took place in Sveaborg, Kronstadt and Reval. Peasant unrest did not stop either. Society was disturbed by the terrorist actions of Socialist Revolutionary militants who carried out a high-profile attempt on life Prime Minister Stolypin. To speed up legal proceedings in terrorism cases, military courts were introduced.

The Second State Duma, elected at the beginning of 1907, refused to cooperate with the government, especially on the agrarian issue. June 1, 1907 Stolypin accused the Social Democratic parties of intending to “overthrow the existing system.” On June 3, 1907, Nicholas II, by decree, dissolved the Second State Duma and introduced a new electoral law, according to which election quotas were redistributed in favor of political forces loyal to the monarchy. This was a definite violation of the manifesto of October 17, 1905 and the basic laws of the Russian Empire, so the revolutionary camp defined this change as a coup d'etat, which meant the final defeat of the revolution of 1905 - 1907. The so-called June Third state system began to operate in the country.

Results of the first Russian revolution of 1905 - 1907 (the beginning of Russia's advance towards a constitutional monarchy):

Creation of the State Duma,

Reform of the State Council - transforming it into an upper house parliament,

New edition of the basic laws of the Russian Empire,

Proclamation of freedom of speech,

Permission to create trade unions,

Partial political amnesty,

Cancellation of redemption payments for peasants.

Domestic history: lecture notes Kulagina Galina Mikhailovna

14.4. Revolution 1905–1907

14.4. Revolution 1905–1907

First Russian Revolution 1905–1907 occurred as a result of a national crisis that became large-scale, deep and acute. The social costs of capitalist industrialization turned out to be extremely high while maintaining the old feudal structures in agriculture, in which the majority of the country's population was employed. Russia during this period was practically the only state in Europe where there was no parliament, legal political parties, civil rights and freedoms. The agrarian question remained unresolved.

The economic crisis of 1900–1903, which then turned into a protracted economic depression, as well as defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, further aggravated the situation. The country needed radical change. But the autocracy resisted the transformation in every possible way.

The beginning of the revolution was the events in St. Petersburg on January 9, 1905, called “Bloody Sunday.” On this day, a 150,000-strong procession of workers to the Tsar took place, organized by the priest G. Gapon and the organization he created, “Meeting of Russian Factory Workers,” which introduced the principles of so-called “police socialism” into the labor movement in order to distract it from revolutionary ideas.

The strike, supported by the majority of workers at large enterprises, became almost universal. The workers wanted to submit a petition to the Tsar asking for the protection of their rights and improvement of their financial situation. It was proposed to convene a Constituent Assembly. The peaceful demonstration was shot by troops. Tens and hundreds of people were killed and wounded. The news of the shooting of the demonstration became a catalyst for the revolution. The country was swept by a wave of mass protests.

On February 18, 1905, a rescript from Nicholas II appeared with the promise of reforms. But the royal rescript did not calm the country. The flurry of revolutionary actions grew.

An important event in the spring-summer of 1905 was the strike of Ivanovo-Voznesensk textile workers, during which the first council of workers' representatives was created. During 1905, workers' councils appeared in 50 cities of Russia. Subsequently, they would become (starting from 1917) the main structure of the new Bolshevik government.

In 1905, a powerful peasant movement arose, which partly took the form of agrarian unrest, which was expressed in the pogrom of landowners' estates and non-payment of redemption payments. In the summer of 1905, the first national peasant organization was formed - the All-Russian Peasant Union, which advocated immediate political and agrarian reforms.

Revolutionary ferment gripped the army and navy. In June 1905, there was an uprising on the battleship Prince Potemkin-Tavrichesky of the Black Sea Fleet. But the sailors did not receive support from other ships and were forced to leave for Romania and surrender to the local authorities there.

On August 6, 1905, a manifesto appeared on the creation of the State Duma, drawn up by a commission led by A.G. Bulygina. According to this document, the Duma was supposed to be only legislative in nature, and voting rights were granted mainly to the propertied strata, excluding workers and farm laborers. A sharp struggle between various political forces unfolded around the “Bulygin” Duma, leading to mass protests and the all-Russian October political strike, which covered all the vital centers of the country. Under these conditions, the autocracy was forced to make concessions and sign a manifesto on October 17, 1905. The manifesto contained three points. Firstly, he “granted to the population the unshakable foundations of civil freedom on the basis of actual personal inviolability, freedom of conscience, speech, press, assembly, and unions.” Secondly, it was announced that suffrage would be extended to “those classes of the population that are deprived of voting rights.” Thirdly, it was established that “no law could take effect without the approval of the State Duma.”

In connection with the adoption of the manifesto on October 17, the highest executive power was reformed. The post of Chairman of the Council of Ministers was introduced, and S.Yu. was appointed to it. Witte, who was entrusted with the implementation of the manifesto of October 17, 1905. The development of constitutional principles for reforming the highest representative bodies of power in Russia continued. Later (in February 1906), the State Council was transformed from a legislative advisory body into the upper house of parliament, and the State Duma became the lower house.

Despite the publication of the tsar's manifesto and the efforts of the authorities to stabilize the internal situation in the country, the revolutionary movement continued. Its apogee was the December armed uprising in Moscow. On December 7–9, 1905, barricades were erected in Moscow. But the tsarist troops suppressed the uprising.

In 1906, a gradual decline in the revolution began. The supreme power, under the pressure of revolutionary uprisings, carried out a number of reforms.

The first parliamentary elections in Russia took place, and on April 6, 1906, the First State Duma began its work. The activities of trade unions were legalized. At the same time, the revolution and social activity continued. The State Duma, which was in opposition to autocracy, was dissolved. As a sign of protest, 182 deputies representing socialist and liberal parties gathered in the city of Vyborg and adopted an appeal to the population of Russia, in which they called for acts of civil disobedience (refusal to pay taxes and perform military service). In July 1906, there were uprisings of sailors in Sveaborg, Kronstadt and Reval. Peasant unrest did not stop either. The society was disturbed by the terrorist actions of the Socialist Revolutionary militants, who carried out a high-profile attempt on the life of Prime Minister P.A. Stolypin (August 12, 1906). To speed up legal proceedings in terrorism cases, military courts were introduced.

The Second State Duma, elected at the beginning of 1907, refused to cooperate with the government, especially on the agrarian issue. June 1, 1907 P.A. Stolypin accused the Social Democratic parties of intending to overthrow the existing system. On June 3, 1907, Nicholas II, by his decree, dissolved the Second State Duma and introduced a new electoral law, according to which election quotas were redistributed in favor of political forces loyal to the monarchy. This was a definite legal violation of the manifesto of October 17, 1905 and the basic laws of the Russian Empire, so the revolutionary camp defined this change as a coup d'etat, which meant the defeat of the revolution of 1905–1907. The so-called June Third state system began to operate in the country.