Gregory Gapon
Gregory (Georgei) Gapon was the key leader of the bloody Sunday protest of 1905; prior to this event Gapon had been prohibited from attending universities based on his minor involvements with revolutionary groups, it was the he decided to train as a priest. Gapon gained recognition in 1904 from establishing the Assembly of Russian Factory Workers, which was designed to support local workers and pursue industrial reform. Gapon was later viewed as a sort of ‘double agent’ from the Assembly’s links to the ministry. His Assembly gained greater recognition as Gapon became a prominent member of the St Petersburg workers community. Rising industrial action in 1905 began after four workers were dismissed from the Putilov Steel Works.
Gapon’s response was to plan a peaceful demonstration at the Winter Palace on Sunday 9th of January 1905 to outline workers grievances and to call for social, political and economic reform. 150,000 people gathered at the Winter Palace chanting phrases such as ‘long live the Tsar’ when they were shot down by Cossacks, believed to be led by the Tsar this event was remembered as bloody Sunday. Gapon’s leadership influenced a revolutionary situation by firstly unionising the proletariat who began to see the grievances that themselves and other workers were enduring, resulting in the banding of workers and adhered to changed. Secondly bloody Sunday demonised the Tsar which contributed greatly to the downfall of the Tsarist regime as the Tsar was no longer viewed as the ‘little father’ of Russia. Under this circumstance the breaking down of Tsarism inspired revolutionary change through the October Manifesto which failed to satisfy peasants and workers and contributed to unmet rising expectations.
LUKE
Gapon’s response was to plan a peaceful demonstration at the Winter Palace on Sunday 9th of January 1905 to outline workers grievances and to call for social, political and economic reform. 150,000 people gathered at the Winter Palace chanting phrases such as ‘long live the Tsar’ when they were shot down by Cossacks, believed to be led by the Tsar this event was remembered as bloody Sunday. Gapon’s leadership influenced a revolutionary situation by firstly unionising the proletariat who began to see the grievances that themselves and other workers were enduring, resulting in the banding of workers and adhered to changed. Secondly bloody Sunday demonised the Tsar which contributed greatly to the downfall of the Tsarist regime as the Tsar was no longer viewed as the ‘little father’ of Russia. Under this circumstance the breaking down of Tsarism inspired revolutionary change through the October Manifesto which failed to satisfy peasants and workers and contributed to unmet rising expectations.
LUKE