The Year 1906

In March, the right of workers to assemble was withdrawn by the Tsar. There were no trade unions in Russia at this time. Workers had a 10-14 hour day, the lowest level of wages of any European country, and were kept down by a caste system and bureaucratic officialdom.

March saw the formation of another reactionary anti-Semitic group in Russia, which then expanded its activities in October, known as the Union of Russian People (Soyuz Russkogo Naroda).

In April, the Tsar approved creation of a Naval General Staff to improve the efficiency of the Main Naval Staff. However, continual bickering between the two groups hindered its activities.

On 27 April, the Tsar appointed General A.A. Polivanov as Deputy Minister of War.

During April and May, Tsar Nicholas II initiated a series of changes within the Council of Ministers, replacing Sergius Witte with I.L. Goremykin as Chairman; naming P.A. Stolypin at Internal Affairs; A.P. Izvolsky as Foreign Minister; I.G. Shcheglovitov as Minister of Justice, V.N. Kokovtsov as Finance Minister, A.A. Stoff as Minister of Commerce and Industry, A.S. Stishinsky at Agriculture, P.M. Kaufman at Education, N.K. Schaffgausen at Ways and Communications, and A.A. Shirinskiy-Shikhmatov as the Director-General of the Holy Synod.

During the Spring, student classes were finally allowed to resume at Russian universities and technical institutes after a forced break of eighteen months.

On 6 May, Russian authorities made public the text of the new constitution, known as the Fundamental Laws. Russia now had two houses of government, the Council of Ministers was the upper legislative body as a counterweight to the lower house, the State Duma. The Tsar retained complete control of the executive branch, foreign policy, the army and navy, and all other autocratic prerogatives, including power of veto over legislation. The Duma received important legislative and budgetary rights and functions, but these were largely circumscribed by the conservative State Council.

The First Duma was convened at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg on 10 May. The Constitutional Democrats (Kadets) were led by Paul Milyukov, the Octobrists were led by Aleksandr Guchkov. The Social Democrats and SRs boycotted the Duma, which lasted only until 21 July, when it was dissolved by the Tsar.

The Year 1906

On 19 May, the newly elected Duma President, S.A. Muromtsev, presented a resolution to the Tsar, requesting that he receive a Duma deputation to deliver an “Address to the Throne,” which demanded universal suffrage, land reform, release of political prisoners, and the right to dismiss ministers appointed by the Tsar in favor of ministers acceptable to the Duma. The Tsar's refusal to meet with the Duma deputies caused an uproar in the Duma on the 26th, with members demanding the resignation of the present cabinet.

During the Summer, angry peasants burned their landlords' estates in many provinces across Russia. Scores of governors, generals, and police were assassinated. There was growing unrest in the armed forces.

On 20 July, the Tsar approved a new Finnish constitution and electoral law which was to guarantee universal suffrage, proportional representation, freedom of speech and public assembly. However, the Tsar retained unlimited veto power.

On 21 July, P.A. Stolypin succeeded Goremykin as Prime Minister and as President of the Council of Ministers. He was the third Prime Minister in three months. Stolypin retained his post as Minister of the Interior. Other Ministers were also being replaced.

On 21 July, an Imperial Decree dissolved the First Duma, making it known that a new Duma would be convened on 5 March 1907.

On 30 July, in Finland, the Russian garrison and fleet mutinied at Sveaborg fortress, near Helsingfors, which was finally put down on 3 August.

On 1 August, in the Gulf of Finland, a mutiny of the garrison took place at Kronshtadt Fortress, near St. Petersburg. It was quickly crushed by loyal troops. Isolated instances of terror and violence continued throughout Russia.

On 15 August, an event took place in the streets of Warsaw known as Bloody Sunday. Twenty eight police and soldiers were killed in clashes with demonstrators. Another eighteen were wounded. Over 15 civilians were killed and 150 wounded. There were uprisings in Lodz and Plotsk. On the 25th, Russian Prime Minister Stolypin escaped injury in an SR bomb attempt on his life at his country estate near St, Petersburg. On the 26th, The Equerry to the Tsar, General George Min, was murdered in St. Petersburg. Many other government officials were killed or wounded in various cities.

The Tsar and Empress become ever more fearful for their safety and the health of their son. During this period it is probable that the Empress confided the condition of her son to Rasputin. Survival of the autocracy was always uppermost in her mind.

The Year 1906

The Russian peasant saw the Tsar as being completely unaware of the embezzlement, corruption, graft, injustice and cruelties they suffered at the hands of his officials. As a safety measure against possible violence the Imperial family moved on 1 September to their yacht, Shtandart. They returned in late October. Warships were assigned to protect Shtandart.

During Autumn, the Russian government announced a series of reform measures aimed at legislative measures, courts-martial, religious freedom, personal inviolability and civic equality, and agrarian reform. These projected reforms were denounced by both those on the right and the left. There was a general swing to the right in local elections. In mid- October, an Imperial Decree removed most of the laws which set the peasantry apart as a class. Banks were now allowed to grant loans to peasants with property as security.

On 20 December, in Moscow, a general strike, backed by the SRs and Bolsheviks was put down by police and troops in heavy fighting.

On 22 December, Russian War Minister General A.F. Rediger submitted a proposal designed to improve combat readiness to the State Defense Council. After much debate the Council realized that the State Treasury was empty and the price was too high. It was decided to reduce the size of the army to cut costs. From 1907 through the Fall of 1908 various plans for transformation of the Russian army were put forward, all were shelved due to costs. There was little change in the status quo.

During the Winter period there was an epidemic of robberies across Russia. They were organized by anarchists to replenish their funds. Josif Dzhugashviliy, later known as Josef Stalin, was one of the robbers. Martial Law was proclaimed in most of the larger cities.

The human cost of the Russian Revolution of 1905-1906 would be 15,000 dead, over 18,000 wounded, with 79,000 people being sent to prisons. During 1906 alone, various revolutionary groups killed 768 government officials and wounded another 820. Russian society grew increasingly outraged at these excesses. During December 1906 and January 1907, the Department of Press Administration suppressed 337 revolutionary newspapers and pamphlets.