The Western Provinces of the Russian Empire in the Revolution of 1905-1907: Elements of Regional Uniqueness and Civil War

Abstract

This article examines the elements of regional identity and civil war in nine western provinces of the Russian Empire during the Revolution of 1905-1907. Unlike the inner Russian provinces, the western provinces were multinational and polyconfessional, despite the fact that Russian nationalists considered them to be native Russian lands. On the territory of the western provinces, mass protest movements took place, combining ethnic, religious and social conflicts, often leading to outbreaks of terrorism. The lands that were part of the Commonwealth in the historical past were perceived as a kind of transit zone between Russia and the Kingdom of Poland (Vistula provinces), and their integration into the Russian Empire was not completed. Numerous revolutionary, anti-revolutionary and counter-revolutionary movements with the participation of many political parties and movements of various kinds had a strong influence on the socio-political development of nine provinces. Attempts by the central and local authorities to suppress conflicts by various methods and the scale of manifestations of violence were inherent in the outskirts of the Empire during the revolution, as a result of which features of originality appeared in the western provinces. In addition, historical parallels can be drawn with regional outbreaks of violence during the French Revolution. The author offers the opportunity to compare the western provinces as the "Black Hundred Vendee" of the period of the revolution of 19051907. on the types of conflicts and the level of violence with the south of France (Midi) of the French Revolution and compare the social, ethnic and religious conflicts of the western provinces of the period of the revolution of 1905-1907. with the events in the Austrian Empire during the revolutionary period of 1848-1849.