There were many different causes of the 1905 Russian revolution. These included; the growth of different reformist groups, rapid industrialisation, the Russo-Japanese War and ‘Bloody Sunday’. However some were more influential than others.
Firstly there was the Social Democrats who wanted to use and implement the radical ideas of Karl Marx to inspire the transformation of Russia to Capitalism and then onto Communism. For this to succeed industrialisation was needed, however this also angered other people with in the nation who were angered by the industrialisation. The Social Democrats later split into two groups the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks. The Bolsheviks were an exclusive group ran by Vladimir Lenin. To be part of this revolutionary group you had to be a dedicated revolutionist. They avoided helping the other revolutionary parties as they believed that it slowed the process. Whereas, the Mensheviks were an open organisation that still had the same ideas when it came to revolutionising Russia as the Bolsheviks however they weren’t as dedicated revolutionists and would cooperate with other revolutionary groups.
There was also the Social Revolutionary Party (populists) who disliked the autocratic rule of the Tsar and wanted change in every way. They believed that the future of Russia laid with the people of Russia, the peasants and the workers. With support from the workers, peasants and intelligentsia the SR party used their radical ideas and propaganda to try and get change implemented. Some Liberals also wanted small amounts of change within Russia. They were split into the Octobrists and Kadets. The Octobrists didn’t want any change from the October manifesto in which the Tsar was willing to share political power. In comparison the Kadets who were supported by entrepreneurs and small land owners wanted the introduction of a