About the lecture

In this module, we provide a broad view of the events surrounding the 1905 Revolution, focusing in particular on figure of Tsar Nicholas II, the increasing tensions in the early twentieth century, the Russians' humiliating defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, the constitutional changes outlined in the October Manifesto, and the creation of the First State Duma in 1906.

About the lecturer

Dr Jonathan Smele is Senior Lecturer in Modern European History at Queen Mary University of London. He is a specialist in the history of Russian revolutions and civil wars. His recent publications include (as editor) The Russian Revolution of 1905: Centenary Perspectives (2005) and The Russian Civil Wars, 1916-26: Ten Years that Shook the World (2016).