Ill-fated by the Khodynka Tragedy, the reign of the last Tsar was plagued with public discontent from his inauguration. Nicholas’ fear that he was “not prepared to be Tsar” caused him to cling to the outdated social and economic rhetoric of his father, Tsar Alexander III, despite the rapidly changing and evolving state of Russia. By 1905, many of the classes, particularly the peasants, urban workers and the reformist middle class were angered and politicized by Nicholas’ reactionary policies. The events of 1905 were preceded by a Progressive and academic agitation for more political democracy and limits to Tsarist rule in Russia. Nicholas II caused grievances for almost every class of people under his protection, to the extent that the gentry
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This was a war that could have been avoided. Russia chose to reject the proposal of defined spheres of influence propositioned by Japan, which spurred Russia into an isolated war with Japan from February 8th 1904 – September 5th 1905. Throughout the conflict, Russia was perceived as arrogant and ignorant of the vast military strength and technological advancements of the supposed ‘infidels’ as referred to by Tsar Nicholas II. Had the war been won, the regime may have been able to gain political capital from this nationalistic upsurge. However, what patriotism flooded through the Russian forces was soon overturned by the realization that they were poorly equipped with outdated weaponry and there were terrible logistical problems in running a war from 6,000 miles away from the fight. As detailed in cartoon 1 (pg. 39) in Reinventing Russia , the artist illustrates the blatant incompetence of the Russian naval forces in their inability to navigate through their own Russian mines in the midst of an ironically calm ocean. While, in direct juxtaposition, the Japanese individual in traditional aristocratic garments is portrayed with a smug grin as he lounges, carelessly, with his back to the enemy. The government had become exceedingly unpopular once news …show more content…
Falling wages, coupled with the rising cost of living amongst poor working standards and unsanitary living arrangements led to Father Georgei Gapon, ‘a renegade priest with police connections,’ presenting a petition outlining the grievances of the people of St. Petersburg. The affected workers and their families would march peacefully to the Winter Palace on the 22nd January 1905, begging for political, economic and social reform. They did not ask for much, only for their human rights to be upheld. 150,000 nonviolent people marched towards the Tsar’s residence and hundreds of those passive individuals; men, women and children where trampled, killed and wounded by the army and Cossack cavalry. Although it is believed that the Tsar was not at his residence or St. Petersburg at the time, he would be held responsible for the senseless firing on innocent people on Bloody Sunday. The image, Death as Czar of All the Russias, 1905 depicts Tsar Nicholas II as the epitome of death, while still clutching onto the scepter of power. Here, Father Gapon represents the hundreds of lives lost as a consequence of Bloody Sunday, as he pleads with the Tsar, thrusting his petition towards the almighty ruler while struggling to hold onto his ermine coat. The messaged conveyed within this image dictates to the viewer, that the workers “received a bloody lesson” from the Tsar,
This was a war that could have been avoided. Russia chose to reject the proposal of defined spheres of influence propositioned by Japan, which spurred Russia into an isolated war with Japan from February 8th 1904 – September 5th 1905. Throughout the conflict, Russia was perceived as arrogant and ignorant of the vast military strength and technological advancements of the supposed ‘infidels’ as referred to by Tsar Nicholas II. Had the war been won, the regime may have been able to gain political capital from this nationalistic upsurge. However, what patriotism flooded through the Russian forces was soon overturned by the realization that they were poorly equipped with outdated weaponry and there were terrible logistical problems in running a war from 6,000 miles away from the fight. As detailed in cartoon 1 (pg. 39) in Reinventing Russia , the artist illustrates the blatant incompetence of the Russian naval forces in their inability to navigate through their own Russian mines in the midst of an ironically calm ocean. While, in direct juxtaposition, the Japanese individual in traditional aristocratic garments is portrayed with a smug grin as he lounges, carelessly, with his back to the enemy. The government had become exceedingly unpopular once news …show more content…
Falling wages, coupled with the rising cost of living amongst poor working standards and unsanitary living arrangements led to Father Georgei Gapon, ‘a renegade priest with police connections,’ presenting a petition outlining the grievances of the people of St. Petersburg. The affected workers and their families would march peacefully to the Winter Palace on the 22nd January 1905, begging for political, economic and social reform. They did not ask for much, only for their human rights to be upheld. 150,000 nonviolent people marched towards the Tsar’s residence and hundreds of those passive individuals; men, women and children where trampled, killed and wounded by the army and Cossack cavalry. Although it is believed that the Tsar was not at his residence or St. Petersburg at the time, he would be held responsible for the senseless firing on innocent people on Bloody Sunday. The image, Death as Czar of All the Russias, 1905 depicts Tsar Nicholas II as the epitome of death, while still clutching onto the scepter of power. Here, Father Gapon represents the hundreds of lives lost as a consequence of Bloody Sunday, as he pleads with the Tsar, thrusting his petition towards the almighty ruler while struggling to hold onto his ermine coat. The messaged conveyed within this image dictates to the viewer, that the workers “received a bloody lesson” from the Tsar,