Revolution

This predicament for the vast majority of the population (who by now lived in poverty and with very little real freedom) eventually led to the revolution of 1905. Alexander II was assassinated in 1881 by a revolutionary group, and his successor Alexander III reacted by placing restrictions on local government and increasing the power and reach of the Russian secret police to supress revolutionary groups. Some members of revolutionary groups emigrated throughout Europe in order to avoid prosecution, and it was then that many came into contact with Marxist thinkers. The Russian Marxist group was formed in 1884. Tsar Nicholas II came to power in 1894 and continued his predecessor’s repression of minority groups and censorship of the revolutionaries. In January 1095 a protest in St Petersburg led to what became known as ‘Bloody Sunday’ as many protesters were shot by Tsarist soldiers.