State of opposition from 1906-1914 (Waller 99-100)
○ The moderate liberal opposition was largely appeased by the tsarist concessions in 1905-06 and tried to co-operate with the Duma
system, in the hope of further constitutional evolution
○ There was no single, strong opposition among the nationalities after 1905
○ Apart from the Poles and Finns, none wanted outright independence
■ In the case of Ukrainians and Belarusians: a combination of policies of assimilation and repression enjoyed success, delaying the
emergence of an ethnic consciousness
○ The revolutionary SR and SD parties were weakened by the exile of their leaders after 1905, as well as by the damaging split within the
Social Democratic Workers' Party and the rivalry between the SDs and SRs
○ Ideological divisions within the parties were compounded by disagreements over the appropriate response to the 1905 defeat and the
use parties should make of the 'legal' opportunities to work in and through the Duma
○ They also suffered from the activities of the Secret Police network whose agents were very effective in smashing revolutionary cells
○ The industrial depression from 1907, the lack of finance, and a shortage of secret printing presses made organisation difficult and none of
the exiled leaders, including Lenin, exercised effective control over their parties within Russia
○ Membership declined and neither SRs nor SDs succeeded in establishing national, regional or even all-city organisations
○ At best, they maintained an 'underground' organisation in individual factories and workshops, where the leaders were local labour
activists
○ Ideological differences that absorbed the attention of their leaders in exile
○ Revival in Bolshevik fortunes in 1912-14
○ They succeeded in taking over many legal labour institutions in both St Petersburg and Moscow from the Mensheviks
○ Gained six workers' deputies in elections to the 4th Duma
○ Their newspaper, Pravada (the Truth) was launched in April 1912 – enjoyed a much higher circulation than the Menshevik Luch (the Ray)
● However:
○ The growing support for Bolshevik ideals was limited
○ The moderate liberal opposition was largely appeased by the tsarist concessions in 1905-06 and tried to co-operate with the Duma
system, in the hope of further constitutional evolution
○ There was no single, strong opposition among the nationalities after 1905
○ Apart from the Poles and Finns, none wanted outright independence
■ In the case of Ukrainians and Belarusians: a combination of policies of assimilation and repression enjoyed success, delaying the
emergence of an ethnic consciousness
○ The revolutionary SR and SD parties were weakened by the exile of their leaders after 1905, as well as by the damaging split within the
Social Democratic Workers' Party and the rivalry between the SDs and SRs
○ Ideological divisions within the parties were compounded by disagreements over the appropriate response to the 1905 defeat and the
use parties should make of the 'legal' opportunities to work in and through the Duma
○ They also suffered from the activities of the Secret Police network whose agents were very effective in smashing revolutionary cells
○ The industrial depression from 1907, the lack of finance, and a shortage of secret printing presses made organisation difficult and none of
the exiled leaders, including Lenin, exercised effective control over their parties within Russia
○ Membership declined and neither SRs nor SDs succeeded in establishing national, regional or even all-city organisations
○ At best, they maintained an 'underground' organisation in individual factories and workshops, where the leaders were local labour
activists
○ Ideological differences that absorbed the attention of their leaders in exile
○ Revival in Bolshevik fortunes in 1912-14
○ They succeeded in taking over many legal labour institutions in both St Petersburg and Moscow from the Mensheviks
○ Gained six workers' deputies in elections to the 4th Duma
○ Their newspaper, Pravada (the Truth) was launched in April 1912 – enjoyed a much higher circulation than the Menshevik Luch (the Ray)
● However:
○ The growing support for Bolshevik ideals was limited
