The Putilov strike begins

Nicholas II issued a decree promising changes in administration while rejecting representative government. The measure failed to satisfy demands for political reform. The source date is 12 December...

Russian forces surrendered Port Arthur after a long siege in the Russo-Japanese War. The defeat intensified criticism of the imperial government. The source date is 20 December 1904 Old Style.

The first issue of the Bolshevik newspaper Vperyod appeared in Geneva, providing an organ for Lenin and his supporters during the growing revolutionary crisis. The source date is 22 December 1904...

Members of Father Gapon’s workers’ organization met at the Putilov Works after four members were dismissed. The dispute became the immediate cause of the mass strike in St Petersburg. The source...

A large workers’ meeting demanded the return of four dismissed employees and the removal of officials blamed for their dismissal. The source date is 2 January Old Style.

Delegates led by Father Gapon appealed unsuccessfully to factory managers and government officials. Workers at the Franco-Russian shipyard joined the strike. The source date is 4 January Old Style.

The stoppage spread to other factories, bringing roughly 25,000 workers into the strike movement. The source date is 5 January Old Style.

At meetings of Gapon’s organization, workers proposed a peaceful procession to present Nicholas II with a petition covering labour conditions and political rights. The source date is 6 January Old...

The strike spread across the capital, closing most major workplaces while workers discussed the petition and plans for a march to the Winter Palace. The source date is 7 January Old Style.

A delegation including Maxim Gorky tried to persuade officials to prevent bloodshed. Authorities mobilized troops while Gapon’s organization prepared the next day’s procession. The source date is 8...