Bloody Sunday

Why was Bloody Sunday so important?   Caitlin Freeman

It can be argued that the reason for Bloody Sunday's significance is that it triggered the 1905 revolution, as the extent of the massacre in response to the Russian people's plea for a say in their government pushed tensions to breaking point. As well as this, Bloody Sunday caused the people to turn on Tsar Nicholas. This was because they held him personally responsible for the massacre as he had done nothing to prevent it. The man that the Russian people had once referred to as “father” now epitomised the unfair   system they were up against.

Tsar Nicholas had always been seen, to the people of Russia, as an almost separate entity to oppressive government. They called him “father” as he was seen as someone who they felt they could turn to for protection. In the petition from father Gapon and his followers, it addresses the Tsar directly, saying “ we the workers and inhabitants of St Petersburg... come to thee, O Sire to seek justice and protection”[1], reinforcing the idea that they thought of the Tsar as being on their side. After violence broke out, they held the Tsar personally responsible for what had happened as not only was he not there but he did nothing to prevent it. Bloody Sunday was significant as when their appeal to their “father” was met with instantaneous violence, the social contract between the   Tsar and his people had been irrevocably destroyed.

Bloody Sunday was also significant because as it triggered the 1905 revolution. Tensions between the Russian government and the people had not yet come together so notably and in such a violent way up until this point. Despite it saying in the official report of the massacre that “despite pleas by local police officers and cavalry charges, the crowd did not disperse but continued to advance”[2] it is clear that the police and the cavalry were sent in not to disperse the crowd, but to shut down the revolutionaries completely by any means...