History 12-1: Russia and the 1905 Revolution

We began by reviewing the key elements of Marxism; remember, time spent doing the readings will give you a depth of understanding not possible by attending the 75-minutes classes alone. Next we viewed some PPT slides to demonstrate the leadership of the last three tsars. We noted specifically, that Nicholas II was a weak leader, unwilling to give up any real control: cue the music...

We learned of the 1905 Revolution timeline, especially Bloody Sunday, the strikes and uprising that followed and the October Manifesto that restored order. We then met in groups to examine the 1906 Fundamental Laws - the new constitution designed to "fix" the problems. We noted that much of what was promised in the Manifesto was watered down by the time the Laws were issued. As citizens it's important that we be able to critically access the difference between what is "reported to be"and what "is." On this point, I thought you did a good job in your groups teasing out the details, both the good and the bad.

For homework, please review Falk page 24 (a table that describes Marx's view of how "communism" would occur, and pp. 27-28 for a summary of today's lesson. Also, please read pp. 37-38 in DeMarco, and complete Ex #1 (a-e).