The Romanovs and the October Manifesto: A Constitution for Russia

In 1905, revolution shook the Romanov dynasty to its core. Strikes, mutinies, and the assassination of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich forced Nicholas II to make an impossible choice: grant a constitution or watch his empire collapse. This episode unpacks the October Manifesto — the document that created Russia's first parliament, the Duma, and the pseudo-constitutional experiment that followed. We follow the drafting crisis at Peterhof, the reluctant reformers like Sergei Witte, and the split between Kadets and Octobrists that would shape the revolution's aftermath. Lucas and Luna explore how a piece of paper could give hope to a starving nation and yet satisfy no one, planting the seeds of the February Revolution. With the 1905 General Strike, the Moscow uprising, and the first Duma's short, confrontational life, this episode reveals the fragile political settlement that Russia's last tsar tried — and failed — to manage. #OctoberManifesto #SergeiWitte #1905Revolution #RussianDuma #NicholasII #Kadets #Octobrists #Peterhof #GeneralStrike #ConstitutionalExperiment #Romanovs #RussianHistory #EasternEurope #Revolution #Tsarism #FexingoHistory #History #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo