d their sons sent to fight in a war instigated by bravado and pride. To the general population of Russia this was a primary demonstration of the incompetence of their government. Reform must occur, even if it occurs through the means of a revolution.The Russo-Japanese war was also damaging to the Russian economy. Russia had already endured an industrial depression from 1900 to 1903, as well as famines and crop failures at the turn of the century; this most recent economic slump could paralyse Russia. Ordinarily, wars tend to boost the domestic economy, but in the politically and financially mismanaged environment of Russia, the economy slumped. The decision by the Trans-Siberian railway to transport only military goods caused a decline of 25% in the silk industry and 15% in the production of wool . Similar recessions were observed in the production of chemicals and other industrial goods . Nationwide production declined significantly in all manufacturing and handicraft industries due to the call to arms of 1,200,000 reservists. Often the reservists were the most productive workers, which took an even greater toll on industry. The Polish Kingdom was especially deep into the recession. By September 1904, the industries of Warsaw had dismissed 25-30 percent of their workers, and wages had declined up to 50 percent . These circumstances left many in need of assistance. This assistance could not be provided, “consequently indigent families received much less help than they needed.” Revolutionary turbulence in Poland, due to these unfortunate circumstances, was understandably intense. The damage done to the Russian economy was essentially an unbearable burden for the impoverished and powerless people of Russia. The Russo-Japanese war displayed the true incompetence of the autocratic government and displayed, once again the necessity for reforms: by revolution if necessary. The final step in the inception of the rev...
