Lincoln's Legacy: 160 Years On

The article recounts the 1905 Lodz uprising in Russian Poland, highlighting its historical significance as a pivotal moment in the revolutionary wave that swept through Russia. The uprising, sparked by the Tsarist regime's brutal repression of peaceful demonstrators in St. Petersburg on "Bloody Sunday," was a fierce clash between poorly armed workers and the heavily armed Tsarist forces. Lodz, a major industrial center with a large and impoverished working class, became a focal point of revolutionary activity. The uprising was characterized by intense street fighting, barricades erected by workers, and widespread strikes. The Bund, the Polish Socialist Party (PPS), and the Social Democrats played key roles in mobilizing and leading the workers. However, internal divisions and a lack of unified leadership hampered the revolutionary efforts. The Tsarist regime responded with overwhelming force, deploying troops to crush the uprising. After several days of intense fighting, the workers were ultimately defeated. The suppression of the Lodz uprising resulted in hundreds of deaths, numerous arrests, and a temporary setback for the revolutionary movement. Despite its defeat, the Lodz uprising demonstrated the growing militancy and revolutionary potential of the working class in Russia and Poland. It served as a precursor to the 1917 Russian Revolution, revealing the deep-seated social and political contradictions within the Tsarist empire and the determination of workers to fight for their rights. The article emphasizes the lessons to be learned from the uprising, particularly the need for a unified and revolutionary leadership to guide the working class in its struggle against capitalist oppression. find the original article here: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/04/14/osku-a14.html