10/1/2015

1905:BirthofanewPower

1905:BirthofanewPower
OnehundredyearsagotheworkersandpeasantsofRussiaroseupinrevolutionandshook
theircountrysrulers.MeganTrudelllooksatthegreatdressrehearsal
PublishedSat8Jan2005
IssueNo.1933

WorkersprocessiontowardstheWinterPalace
On9January1905peacefuldemonstratorsweremassacredbytroopsinStPetersburg,thecapitalof
imperialRussia.Thisevent,knownasBloodySunday,ignitedarevolutionarymovementwhich
paralysedtheRussianstateforayear,sparkedprotestintownandcountryside,andgavebirthto
genuineworkersdemocracyintheprocess.
Russiain1905wasavastempireruledbyadictatortheTsar.Amassivepeasantpopulationlivedin
conditionsofsemistarvationwhilelandremainedinthehandsofrichlandowners.
RussiawasalsoEuropespoliceman,whichotherregimeshadreliedupontocrushrevoltslikethe
waveofrevolutionsin1848.Theneedtoequipitsarmiesledtorapidindustrialdevelopment,andthe
economyhadboomedinthedecadesbefore1905.
Enormousmodernfactoriesproducedweaponsandcloth,andrailwaysconnectedthequicklygrowing
towns.InvestmentandtechniquesfromEuropeledtoenormousleapsinironandoiloutput.
Thenumberoffactoryworkersrosefrom1.4millionto2.4millionbetween1890and1900.
TensionswerebuildingtextileworkersstruckinStPetersburgin1896,followedbyironandsteel
workersin19023.Butthesparkforrevolutionwaswar.
The1904warwithJapanhadturnedintoahumiliatingdefeatforTsarNicholasII.Antiwarfeeling
connectedwithworkersangeratfallingwagesandappallingconditions.
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InStPetersburgastrikewascalledon3January1905byanorganisationheadedbyapriest,Father
Gapon,andsupportedbythepolice.WorkersandpeasantsmarchedtopetitiontheTsarforhelpto
improvetheirlives.
Thepetitionbegan,Wehavecometoyou,Sire,toseekjusticeandprotection.TheTsarhadhis
troopsfireonthedemonstrators,murderinghundreds.
Theentirecountryroseinrage.Amassivestrikewaveshookcities.Onemillionmenandwomentook
actionfornearlytwomonths.ThestrikesendedwhentheTsarpromisedaconsultativeassembly.
Butlittlechanged,andthemovementburstoutagaininSeptember1905.
FirstMoscowtypesettersstruck,demandingtobepaidforpunctuationmarks.ThestrikespreadtoSt
Petersburg,andthentorailworkersacrossthecountry,whocalledforaneighthourday,civil
libertiesandaconstituentassemblybasedonuniversalsuffrage.
Telegraphoffices,powerstations,shops,metalandtextilefactories,andevenlawcourtsgroundtoa
halt.GeneralstrikesweredeclaredinmostcitiesbymidOctober.
Everywheremassmeetingsdiscussedtacticsandpoliticalideas.Inthespaceofmonths,workersused
tobowingtoauthoritybegantochallengelongheldideasanddemandequality.
Themassstrikebroughtafightforeconomicrightstogetherwithafightforpoliticalrepresentation.
Thestrikedramaticallyillustratedthepowerofworkersinstruggle.Butitdidsomethingelseof
tremendousimportance.
Initsrevolutionarymomentum,sweepingasidethebarriersbetweenworkersindifferentjobsand
differenttowns,itcreatedthefirstdemocraticorganisationsoftheentireworkingclassworkers
councils,knownassoviets.
Similardemocraticworkersorganisationshavebeenthrownupbymanyofthegreatrevoltsofthe
last100years.Russiain1905wastheirbirthplace.
On13OctobertheStPetersburgsovietmetforthefirsttimewith43delegates.Atitsheightfour
weekslater,562delegatesrepresented200,000workersfrom147factoriesand16differentunions.
Sovietssprangupinmanytowns.
Delegateswereelectedfromtheirworkplacesandsubjecttoimmediaterecall.Theymetatthesoviet
toshareexperiencesandtolearnfromeachother.
Thesovietgeneralisedthestrugglesofsectionsofthemostadvancedgroupsofworkerstoallthe
othersitwasbasedontheincrediblerevolutionaryenergyandactivityofthemostmilitantworkers.
Itusedthatenergytoencouragethelessconfident.
InStPetersburgthesovietsentstrikerstopicketoutfactories.Ithaditsownnewspaper,and
organisedtheseizureofprintshopstoprintit.Itissuedstrikeinstructionsandensuredtelegrams
wouldcarryitsdecisionstoeveryworkplace.Trainsonlyrantotakesovietdelegatestomeetings!
Thesovietwasmuchmorethanastrikecommittee.ItdevelopedintowhattheRussianrevolutionary
LeonTrotskywhobecamechairoftheStPetersburgsovietwhenhewas26calledtheembryoof
workerspowerandthebasisforademocraticalternativetoTsarism.
On16OctobertheTsarpledgedaconstitutionandalegislativeassembly,butpromisesofdemocracy
hidpreparationstorepresstherevolutionbyforce.
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Thesovietdelegatesrecognisedthedangerandresolvedtofighton.Butthestrikewasnotunified
acrossthecountry,andworkers,jubilantatthepromisedreform,beganreturningtowork.Thesoviet
calledoffthestrike.
Then,justtendayslater,anewstruggleerupted.
Spontaneously,workersinseveralmetalworksbegancampaigningforaneighthourdaybystopping
workaftereighthours.Thesovietspreadtheactionacrossthemetalandtextileindustries.
InonedistrictofStPetersburgworkersmarchedoutoffactorieswavingredbannersandsingingthe
Marseillaise,ananthemfromtheFrenchRevolution.
TheworkersmovementwasaninspirationtoothersoppressedbyTsarism.Inthecountryside
peasantsbeganorganisingtoseizelandandtowithholdrent.
InPolandanationalliberationmovementdemandedindependence.InNovembersoldiersmutiniedat
theKronstadtfortress.
Thecombinedthreatofstrikes,nationalrevolt,peasantriotsandmutinywasaseriousoneforthe
state.Martiallawwasdeclaredintheprovinces,inPolandandatKronstadt,wheremutineerswere
threatenedwithdeath.
TheStPetersburgsovietcalledastrikeagainsttherepression.Theresponsewasmassive.Workers
cameoutinevengreaternumbersthaninOctober,andafterfivedayshadwonamnestyforthe
mutineers.
ThetremendousdemonstrationofsolidarityinNovemberbuiltlinksbetweenworkersandthearmy.
Theeighthourdaycampaignresumed,butthistimethefactoryownersretaliatedandlockedworkers
out.Afterfightingallyear,workersandtheirfamiliesfacedseverehardship.
Afteralongdebate,thesovietvotedtoendthestrike.Theeighthourdaywasnotwonbut,asone
delegatesaid,henceforththewarcry:Eighthoursandagun!shallliveintheheartofevery
Petersburgworker.
Defeatencouragedretribution.StatesponsoredantiSemiticgangscalledtheBlackHundreds
terrorisedandmurderedJews,socialistsandstrikers.Morethan3,500peoplewerekilledand10,000
injuredintownsacrossRussia.
InStPetersburgmetalworkersmadeweapons,andthesovietorganisedarmedgroupsofworkersto
defendstrikersandJewsfromattack.
Therevolutionwasmovingtowardsconflictwiththestate.AttheendofNovembermutinywasinthe
air,andpeasantriotsandstrikesstillflared.
InSebastopolontheBlackSeasoldiersarrestedtheirgeneralsandmarchedoutoftheirbarracksto
joincheeringcrowds.
Togetherworkersandarmedsoldiersheldthetownforfivedaysuntiltheirrevoltwasbrutally
suppressed.
InearlyDecembertheexecutivecommitteeoftheStPetersburgsovietwasarrested,andthecentreof
struggleshiftedtoMoscow.
Thesovietcalledageneralstrikewiththeaimofturningitintoanarmedinsurrection.Thirtythree
townsjoinedthestrike.
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Thestakeswereveryhigh.Tsarismcouldbedealtadeathblowiftherevolutionaryforceswereunited
anddeterminedenough.
Massivestrideshadbeentakenduringtherevolutionideashadchangedandworkershadglimpsed
theirownabilitytorunsociety.Butthestrikealonecouldnotbeatthestate.Armedstrugglewas
neededforthat.
Workersfaltered,andthestrikecrumbledinStPetersburgandtheprovinces.
TheMoscowworkersrisinglastedninedays,butwasisolatedandovercomeastroopslaidsiegeto
thecity,shellingworkingclassareas.Themovementsbackwasbroken,althoughittook18months
tocrushtherevolutioncompletely.
TheneedforadecisivearmedbattleagainstthestatetowinpowerwasaharshlessonforRussias
workers.
Trotskylaterrememberedsovietdelegatesdestroyingtheirgunstopreventtroopsgettingthem:In
theclashingandcreakingoftwistingmetaloneheardthegnashingteethofaproletariatwhoforthe
firsttimefullyrealisedthatamoreformidableandmoreruthlesseffortwasnecessarytooverthrow
andcrushtheenemy.
After1905sbrieftasteoffreedom,repressionreigned.Butthetastewasnotforgotten.Twelveyears
laterin1917thesameelementswar,themassstrike,mutiny,peasantandnationalrevoltscame
togetheragainmuchmorepowerfullytooverthrowTsarism.
Revolutionariesalsolearnedfromtheeventsof1905.Lenin,theleaderofthesocialistBolshevik
Party,arguedwithitsmembersnottostandasidefromthesoviets,buttothrowthemselvesintothe
battle.
Inthedaysafter1905thousandsofworkersjoinedtheBolsheviks.Fromthenonthepartyimmersed
itselfinthedaytodaystrugglesofworkers.Itsmembersweretheindispensableleadersin1917.
ForLenin1905wasthegreatdressrehearsal.Therevolutionshowedthepowerandcreativityof
spontaneousworkersaction,thespeedatwhichideascanchange,andtheinspirationandleadership
aworkersrevolutiongivespeasantandnationalliberationmovements.
Butitalsoprovedtheneedtobepreparedtoconfrontthestateinarevolutionarysituationandtobe
organisedinordertowin.
TheSocialistWorkersPartyhasorganisedanumberofeventsacrossBritaintocelebratethe1905
RussianRevolution.SeeMeetings&eventsfordetails.

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