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The Impact of War on the Russian Liberals in 1904–5

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2014

S. Galai
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Extract

It is of course a commonplace that the defeat of Russia by Japan in the war of 1904–5 ushered in the revolutionary year of 1905. The role of the frankly revolutionary Russian illegal parties has been frequently studied, but the part played by the various groups of more or less moderate public men who are often loosely designated as ‘liberals’ in preparing the climate of revolution has received less detailed treatment in historical writing. The present article therefore proposes to examine the stages by which these groups moved to a progressively more radical position under the impact of an unpopular and unsuccessful war.

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Articles
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Government and Opposition , Volume 1 , Issue 1 , 01 October 1965 , pp. 85 - 109
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Copyright © Government and Opposition Ltd 1965

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References

1 The best account of the development of these parties is in Leontovitsch, V., Geschichte der Liberalismus in Russland, Frankfurt a/Main, 1957, pp. 255–341Google Scholar. The earlier development is also treated in a recent publication, Zilli, V., La rivoluzione russa del 1905, Vol. I Google Scholar, La formazione dei partiti politici (1881–1904), Naples, 1963. The main source for the history of the development of this ‘liberal’ movement is provided by the memoirs of some of the principal participants, and especially the following: Maklakov, V. A., Vlast’ i obschchestvennost’ na zakate staroy Rossii, 3 vols, Paris, 1936 Google Scholar; Milyukov, P.N., Vospominamya, 1859–1917, Vol. 1, New York, 1955 Google Scholar; Petrunkevich, I.I., ‘Iz zapisok obshchest-vennogo deyatelya’ in Arkhiv russkoy revolyutsii, Vol. XXI Google Scholar, Berlin, 1934; and Shipov, D.N., Vospominaniya i dumy 0 perezhitom, Moscow, 1918 Google Scholar.

2 See e.g. Osvobozhdeniye, 1904, No. 54, p. 80. All dates throughout this article are given in Old Style, i.e. thirteen days behind the Western calendar.

3 Dnevnik A.N. Kuropatkina, in Krasnyy Arkhiv, Vols. II, V, VI and VII; see at Vol. II, p. 12.

4 Dnevnik Polovstseva in Krasnyy Arkhiv, Vol. III, p. 167; Pis’ma Bezobra-zova: Prilozheniya. Materialy. Russko-Yaponskaya voyna, pp. 157–9; Dnevnik Kuropatkina, pp. 94ff, 100–1.

5 Ibid., p. 109; cf. Dnevnik imperatora Nikolaya, Berlin, 1923, p. 130.

6 See e.g. Osvobozhdeniye, 1904, No. 18(42), pp. 325–6, 328.

7 And were taken to task for doing so by Osvobozhdeniye, No. 21(45), p. 367.

8 Ibid., No. 18(42), pp. 323–8; No. 19(43), pp. 33, 344; see also Pravo, 1904, No. 7, cols 465–6.

9 Osvobozhdeniye, 1904, No. 17(41); No. 18(42), pp. 319, 325; Revolyu-tsyonnaya Rossiya, 1904, No. 41, pp. 1–2, 42; No. 42, pp. 20–1; Iskra (Zurich-Munich) 1904, No. 58, p. 8; No. 59, pp. 3–4; No. 61, ‘War and Revolution’.

10 Dnevnik Kuropatkina, Vol. II, p. 93;cf. Pravo, 1905, No. 18, cols 1469–75; Osvobozhdeniye, 1904, No. 19(43), p. 338.

11 Ibid., pp. 335–6, and No. 21(45), p. 366.

12 Arsky, R., Iz istorii revolyutsionnogo dvizheniya v Pol’she in Krasnaya Letopis’, 1925, No. 4(15), quoted hereafter as Arsky, pp. 191–2Google Scholar.

13 Ibid., p. 187.

14 Osvobozhdeniye, 1904, No. 21(45), p. 366.

15 Ibid., No. 23(47), pp. 418–19; see however No. 24(48), p. 432 for a denial of this attitude; cf. also No. 23(47), p. 422; No. 24(48), pp. 436–7.

16 Perepiska S. Yu Witte i A.N. Kuropatkina, 1904–1905, in Krasnyy Arkhiv, Vol. XIX, pp. 67–8.

17 See Belokonsky, T. P., Zemskoye dvizheniye, Moscow, 1914 Google Scholar, for the history of this organization.

18 Osvobozhdeniye, 1904, No. 24(48), leader; ibid., No. 52, p. 35; cf. Pravo, 19 4 No. 25, cols 1349–50.

19 Ibid., cols 1350–1; No. 23, col. 1293; cf. Belokonsky, p. 202.

20 Ibid., pp. 200–25 Pravo, 1904, No. 17, cols 978–9.

21 Osvobozhdeniye, 1904, No. 24(48), pp. 437–8; No. 50, p. 14; No. 51, pp. 26–75 cf. also No. 23(47), p. 419 and Pietkovsky, S.S., 1905g. v. Polshe, Krasnaya Letopis’, 1923, No. 5 Google Scholar.

22 Osvobozhdeniye, 1904, No. 24(48), pp. 436–8 (21 May).

23 Perepiska Wine, p. 70. The letter is undated but was received by Kuropat-kin in the Far East on 21 July. Cf. also Osvobozhdeniye, 1904, No. 6o, p. 184.

24 Ibid., No. 24(48), pp. 432–3; Pravo, 1904, No. 17, cols 983–4.

25 Osvobozhdeniye, No. 25(49), pp. 450–1; No. 50, pp. 7–8; Pravo, 1904, No. 24, col. 1328.

26 Osvobozhdeniye, 1904, No. 55, pp. 85–6.

27 Ibid., 1904, No. 19(43), p. 331) 7 March; No. 21(45), p. 3^7^ 2 April; No. 22(46), p. 398, 18 April.

28 Listok Osvobozhdeniye, No. 1; sec also Osvobozhdeniye, 1904, No. 19(43) front page where these slogans are reprinted.

29 One writer warned the editors of Osvobozhdeniye that unless they joined in support for the government during the war, they would surfer the fate of Herzen, the editor of Kolokol, who lost much influence in Russia as a result of his support of the Poles in 1863. See No. 22(46), p. 400, and for the attitude of the editors on this question, see No. 21(45) leader.

30 Ibid., No. 22(46), p. 407, 18 April 1904.

31 Ibid., No. 22(46).

32 Ibid., No. 18(42), p. 319, 19 February 1904.

33 Ibid., No. 22(46), p. 399.

34 Ibid., No. 23(47), 2 May 1904, leader.

35 Ibid., No. 24(48), pp. 434–5, 21 May 1904.

36 Ibid., No. 25(49), p. 446, 2 June 1904; cf. No. 24(48), pp. 436–8, 21 May and No. 50, p. 14, 25 June 1904.

37 Ibid., No. 52, pp. 36–9, 19 July 1904.

38 Ibid., No. 54, 19 August 1904, leader.

39 Perepiska Witte, pp. 71–2; Dnevnik Kuropatkina, Vol. V, p. 88.

40 For full texts see e.g. Pravo, 1904, No. 33, cols 1640–60, and No. 35, leader and cols 1706–8.

41 Osvobozhdeniye, 1904, No. 55, 2 September 1904, leader.

42 Pravo, 1904, No. 37, ‘Zemskiya nachal’niki’, by I. Gessen; No. 40, leader.

43 Aside from the Union of Liberation, seven organizations took part in this conference, mainly nationalist-democratic parties of the national minorities, as well as the Socialist Revolutionaries and the PPS. Among the ten organizations who refused to attend were the social democrat parties and groups, including the RSDRP, the Bund and the SDP. See Listok Osvobozhdeniya, No. 17.

44 See Menshchikov, L., Russkiy politicheskiy ssyisk zagranitsey, Paris, 1914, pp. 182–95Google Scholar. Cf. Listok Osvobozhdeniye, No. 17.

45 Osvobozhdeniye, 1904, No. 58, p. 137.

46 A meeting of the Union of Liberation Council was held in St Petersburg on 20 October. For its decisions see Belokonsky, op. cit., pp. 210–11, 238. See also Obshchestvennoye dvizheniye v Rossii v nachale XX-go veka, ed. L. Martov et al., Vol. II, pt. II, pp. 146–7.

47 Vtoroy s’yezd zemskikh deyateley, St Petersburg, 1904; Belokonsky, op. cit., pp. 221–2; 223–6.

48 Osvobozhdeniye, 1904, No. 62, p. 214, 18 December.

49 Ibid., 1905, No. 63, pp. 226–8, 7 January.

50 Ibid., 1904, No. 60, p. 183.

51 Ibid., pp. 183–4.

52 Ibid.,No. 61, pp. 198–9.

53 Ibid.,No. 58, p. 136, 14 October 1904.

54 Pravo, 1904, leader: ‘The War and our Tasks’ by I. Petrunkevich; No. 46, leader, ‘The War and the Fatherland’ by A. Peshekhonov. This article earned the editors a ‘warning’ from the Ministry of the Interior (Ibid., No. 47). After three warnings, the Minister was entitled to forbid the publication.

55 Osvobozhdeniye, 1904, No. 61, p. 188, 30 November.

56 Ibid., 1904, No. 60, pp. 178–9.

57 Ibid., 1905, No. 68, p. 298; Pravo, 1904, No. 42, col. 2031; No. 45, cols 3131–2; 1905, No. 1, col. 53; Arsky, op. cit., pp. 193–5.

58 Pravo, 1904, No. 45, col. 3132.

59 Ibid., No. 52, cols 3643–4; 1905, No. 1, col. 53.

60 Osvobozhdeniye, 1904, No. 60, leader; No. 6i, pp. 196–8; Belokonsky, op. cit., pp. 212–14.

61 Osvobozhdeniye, 1904, No. 62, pp. 210–12; Pravo, 1904, No. 51, cols 3554–5.

62 For the full text of the decree to the Senate and the announcement see Pravo, 1904, No. 51.

63 ZapiskiA.S. Yermolova, in Krasnyy Arkhiv, Vol. VIII, p. 64.

64 See e.g. the leading article in Pravo, 1905, No. 1.

65 Osvobozhdeniye, 1905, No. 65. The second petition included economic as well as political demands, but did not refer to the war. It was intended to present it to the emperor on 9 January.

66 Ibid., No. 64, leader, ‘The Hangman of the People’.

67 Pravo, 1905, No. 3, cols 183–90; No. 4, cols 269–76; see also Nevsky, V., Yanvarskiye dm v Provintsii, Krasnaya Letopis’, 1922 Google Scholar, No. 4; Arsky, op. cit., pp. 195–214; Pietkovsky, op. cit., pp. 245–51.

68 In a long interview with the emperor’s special envoy Wilhelm warned Nicholas against making concessions to the growing opposition (‘rebellious rabble’) during the war. See Vilgelm II o russko-yaponskoy voyney i o revolyutsii, Krasnyy Arkhiv, Vol. IX, pp. 62–4. Cf. also Perepiska Vilgelma, pp. 100–1.

69 Perepiska Wine, pp. 73–6; see also p. 33, note 3.

70 Zapiski Yermolova, p. 51.

71 See Kuropatkin’s letter to Witte of 18 December 1904, Perepiska Wine, pp. 72–3.

72 These words were introduced into the Manifesto on Pobedonostsev’s advice (this was the only alteration he recommended in the draft shown to him). Ibid., p. 204.

73 Pravo, No. 8, leader.

74 See e.g. Osvobozhdeniye, 1905, No. 67, pp. 278–9; Syn Otechestva, 1905, No. 37 (announcement of the railway employees); Pravo, 1905, No. 10, cols 755–6, etc.

75 Osvobozhdeniye, 1905, No. 67, leader, ‘The Black Hundred and the White Flag’.

76 Perepiska Witte, p. 280.

77 See e.g. Iskra, No. 94, ‘The Tsarist War and the Tsarist Peace’.

78 Osvobozhdeniye, 1905, No. 67, pp. 279, 280; Pravo, 1905, No. 15, leader.

79 See e.g. Iskra, No. 6i, article by Parvus, ‘War and Revolution’.

80 Pravo, 1905, No. 9, cols 660–1; No. 12, cols 931, 945; Syn Otechestva, No. 58. See also Belokonsky, pp. 284–5.

81 See reports in e.g. Pravo, 1905, No. io3 cols 733–4 (demands of a preliminary congress of journalists) held in St Petersburg on 3–4 March 1905) and ibid., No. 14, col. 1142 for the foundation congress of the All-Russian Union for achieving full rights for the Jewish population of Russia; Ibid., No. 17, cols 1381–6, for the foundation congress of the Journalists Union held in April 1905.

82 Pravo, 1905, No. 12, col. 926; No. 13, cols 997–8; a full list of these demands is in Pravo, No. 14, cols 1103–5. They were so radical that even the Bolsheviks admitted that they could constitute a minimum programme for the social democrats - see Vpered, 1905, No. 15, p. 4.

83 Pravo, 1905, No. 13, cols 997–8;No. 14, cols 1105–6;No. 17, col. 1432;for the agronomists see Pravo, No. 15, cols 1198–9.

84 Pravo,No. 17, cols 1393–9;No. 20, cols 1666–74.

85 Pravo, No. I75 cols 1443–4.

86 No. 82, 12 May 1905.

87 See e.g. the opinions of Generals Lobko and Roop at the special meeting of the War Council which decided on ways to end the war, in Konets russko-yaponskoy voyny, Krasnyy Arkhiv, Vol. XXVIII, p. 203; cf. Witte’s cable to Kokovstsev from Portsmouth on 11/24 August 1905: ‘Tell Solsky and Trepov personally that it is in the interest of the Tsar to decide on the final peace conditions in a conference under his chairmanship in which at least the best known representatives of the estates should participate.’ (‘The Portsmouth Peace’, VI-VII, in Krasnyy Arkhiv, Vols VI-VII, at VI, p. 38.)

88 See Osvoboshdeniye, 1905, No. 72, pp. 365–65 No. 73, leader and pp. 370–1; Belokonsky, pp. 286, 288–91 j Dnevnik Imperatora Nikolaya, p. 204.

89 Osvobobozhdeniye, 1905, No. 72, p. 367.

90 Konets … voyny, pp. 190–204, for the full protocol of this meeting; see also p. 201. Cf. Dnevnik Kuropatkina, Vol. VIII, pp. 88–9.

91 Dnevnik Polovstseva, (February 1902-January 1903) in Krasnyy Arkhiv, Vol. Ill, p. 84