On this day in 1905, Czarist troops fired on a group of peaceful workers, starting the Russian Revolution. The workers were enroute to the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg to present their grievances to Czar Nicholas II.

Bloody Sunday. Some 500 protesters were killed that Bloody Sunday. The massacre set off months of protest and disorder throughout Russia.

Bad January. By January of that year, discontent with the czar's regime was felt in almost all classes in Russia. The crushing defeat of the Russian navy at Port Arthur during the Russo-Japanese War earlier that month did not help the feelings of discontent.

Bad to Worse. By October 1905, Nicholas, embattled on all sides, was forced to grant basic civil liberties and a representative national body, which was elected by a group of voters. However, this Parliament, known as the Duma, was dissolved after it opposed Nicholas' authority, and the remnants of the revolutionary movement were brutally suppressed by czarist troops. (See Today Only, October 30.)

Ten Years Later... Czarist Russia was bogged down in the midst of World War I. This prompted the Bolshevik-led Russian Revolution of 1917, which crushed the czar's opposition and proclaimed Russia the world's first Marxist state.

In the Wayback Machine. Understanding the Revolution.

The Decembrists. When Napoleon was defeated in 1812, during the reign of Alexander I, secret societies sprang up throughout the country. They called for the end of serfdom. One of these movements ~ a group of dissatisfied nobles known as the Decembrists ~ also petitioned for the end of autocracy. When they marched into Senate Square in St. Petersburg on December 14, 1825, refusing to swear allegiance to the new czar, Nicholas I, the new Czar struck back. The uprising was crushed within a few hours and the conspirators immediately hanged.

Pushkin's Poem. Pushkin composed a poem about the event: "He was made emperor, and right then displayed his flair and drive:

Sent to Siberia 120 men and strung up five."

Next the Petrashevists. In 1848, another revolutionary group ~ the Petrashevists ~ was formed. Their goal: to prepare for an uprising. The members secretly printed material that championed freedom. When the secret police uncovered their plot in April of the following year, Count Orlov, head of the police, had all of them arrested and imprisoned. Nicholas I sent the conspirators to Siberia. But first he staged a mock execution.

A Word About Nicholas I. Nicholas I firmly resisted change. He refused to free the serfs and he put down 500 peasant revolts between 1825 and 1854. Nicholas supported strict censorship and created a secret police to stop any political opposition. When Nicholas was defeated in the Crimean War by France, Britain, and Turkey on its own soil, it showed Russia's technological and military weakness. When Nicholas died, Alexander II became czar.

Next Disaster for the Citizens. In 1861, bowing to increasing pressure and protests, Alexander II abolished serfdom. It was too little too late. The people were still unhappy with their way of life. In 1867, Karl Marx published Das Kapital and the first Marxist groups were formed within the country. In March of 1881, Alexander II was assassinated by a bomb.

Taking Out Alexander III? Alexander III continued Nicholas' policy of no reform and he strengthened regulation. The country remained in a state of turmoil. Six years later, five students, including Lenin's older brother, tried to kill Alexander III. Their attempt failed and they were hung in the Kronstadt Fortress.