Reaction of the British press to The Manifesto on the Improvement of the State Order of October 17 (30), 1905

The subject of the study is publications in the British press of various political orientations dedicated to the Highest Manifesto on the improvement of the state order, promulgated on October 17 (30), 1905. This imperial Manifesto proclaimed a number of civil liberties (personal integrity, freedom of conscience, speech, assembly and unions), which contributed to transformation of the Russian political system and the emergence of a new government body in the empire – the State Duma. The Manifesto of October 17 (30) aroused increased interest among British political circles and the public, who viewed this event as a significant step towards the establishment of parliamentarism in Russia and limiting the power of the emperor. At the beginning of the 20th century the press was the main source of information shaping British public opinion, including about the Manifesto under consideration. In addition, publications by British correspondents significantly complement the overall historical picture of events taking place in the Russian Empire. Analysis of the reviewed publications in English periodicals allows us to draw the following conclusions. The opinions of British correspondents regarding the events of October 17 (30) differ in accordance with their political and ideological predilections and, partly, personal political experience. The journalist from the liberal The London Daily News expressed much greater hopes for the implementation of the provisions of the Manifesto than his colleagues from the conservative The Morning Post, The Pall Mall Gazette and The Daily Telegraph & Courier. However, all the correspondents, although with varying degrees of optimism, did not give up hope that a constitutional order could be established in the Russian Empire.

british press, british correspondent, october manifesto, state duma, sergei witte, emperor nicholas the second, the first russian revolution, civil liberties, constitutional system, parliamentarism