One of the most tragic events that took place in the history of Russia is Bloody Sunday. Briefly speaking, on January 9, 1905, a demonstration was shot, which involved about 140 thousand representatives of the working class. This happened in St. Petersburg during the reign of Nicholas II, who after that the people began to call the Bloody. Many historians believe that this incident was the decisive impetus for the beginning of the 1905 revolution.
Bloody Sunday: A Brief History
At the end of 1904, political fermentation began in the country, this happened after the defeat that the state suffered in the infamous Russian-Japanese war. What events led to the mass execution of workers - a tragedy that went down in history as Bloody Sunday? In short, it all started with the organization of the "Assembly of Russian factory workers."
Interestingly, the creation of this organization was actively promoted by the Police Department. This was due to the fact that the authorities were concerned about the growing number of people dissatisfied with the work environment. The main goal of the “Assembly” was initially to protect representatives of the working class from the influence of revolutionary propaganda, organize mutual assistance, and enlightenment. However, the “Assembly” was not properly controlled by the authorities, as a result of which there was a sharp change in the course of the organization. This was largely due to the personality of the person who led it.
George Gapon
What does George Gapon have to do with the tragic day, which is remembered as Bloody Sunday? In short, it was this clergyman who became the inspirer and organizer of the demonstration, the outcome of which turned out to be so sad. Gapon took over as the head of the “Assembly” at the end of 1903, and soon it was in his unlimited power. The ambitious clergy dreamed that his name went down in history, proclaimed himself the true leader of the working class.
The leader of the "Assembly" founded a secret committee, the participants of which read forbidden literature, studied the history of revolutionary movements, developed plans for the struggle for the interests of the working class. Companions of Gapon were the spouses of Karelina, who enjoyed great authority among the workers.
The Five Program, which includes the specific political and economic demands of members of the Privy Committee, was developed in March 1904. It was she who served as the source from which the requirements that the demonstrators planned to set out for the king on Bloody Sunday of 1905 were taken. In short, they failed to achieve their goal. On that day, the petition never fell into the hands of Nicholas II.
The incident at the Putilov factory
What event made the workers decide to hold a mass demonstration on the day known as Bloody Sunday? You can briefly talk about it this way: the impetus was the dismissal of several people who worked at the Putilov factory. All of them were participants in the “Meeting”. Rumors spread that people were fired precisely because of their membership in the organization.
Unrest at the Putilov factory also spread to other enterprises that were working at that time in St. Petersburg. Mass strikes began, leaflets with economic and political requirements for the government began to spread. The enthusiastic Gapon decided to submit the petition personally to autocrat Nicholas II. When the text of the appeal to the tsar was read to the participants of the “Meeting”, the number of which already exceeded 20 thousand, people expressed a desire to participate in the rally.
The date of the procession, which went down in history as Bloody Sunday, was also determined - January 9, 1905. A brief summary of the main events is described below.
Bloodshed was not planned
The authorities became aware in advance of the upcoming demonstration, in which about 140 thousand people were to take part. Emperor Nikolai left on January 6 with his family in Tsarskoye Selo. The Minister of the Interior convened an emergency meeting the day before the event, which was remembered as Bloody Sunday 1905. Briefly, during the meeting it was decided not to allow the rally participants to go not only to the Palace Square, but also to the city center.
It is worth mentioning that bloodshed was not originally planned. Representatives of the authorities had no doubt that the crowd would be forced to disperse by the appearance of armed soldiers, but these expectations did not materialize.
Mass killings
The procession, which moved to the Winter Palace, consisted of men, women, and children who did not carry weapons. Many participants in the procession were holding portraits of Nicholas II, the banner. At the Nevsky Gate, the demonstration was attacked by cavalry, then firing began, and five shots sounded.
The following shots rang out at Trinity Bridge from the Petersburg and Vyborg sides. Several volleys were also fired at the Winter Palace, when the demonstrators reached the Alexander Garden. The scene soon became littered with the bodies of the wounded and the dead. Local skirmishes continued until late at night, only at 23 o’clock the authorities managed to disperse the demonstrators.
Effects
The report, which was presented to Nicholas II, significantly downplayed the number of people injured on January 9. Bloody Sunday, a summary of which is retold in this article, claimed the lives of 130 people, another 299 were injured if you rely on this report. In fact, the number of dead and wounded exceeded four thousand people, the exact number remained a mystery.
George Gapon managed to escape abroad, but in March 1906 the clergyman was killed by the Socialist Revolutionaries. The mayor of Fullon, who was directly related to the events of Bloody Sunday, was dismissed on January 10, 1905. The Minister of Internal Affairs Svyatopolk-Mirsky also lost his post. The emperor met with the working delegation on January 20, during which Nicholas II expressed regret that so many people had died. However, he nevertheless declared that the demonstrators had committed a crime and condemned the mass procession.
Conclusion
After Gapon disappeared, the mass strike ceased, the unrest subsided. However, this turned out to be only a lull before the storm, soon the state was expected by new political upheavals and sacrifices.