---
title: "Bloody Sunday Definition and Significance | Model Diplomat"
description: "Bloody Sunday refers to the 1905 massacre in St Petersburg, a key event that sparked the Russian Revolution. Discover its impact on civil rights."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/bloody-sunday"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Bloody Sunday refers to the 22 January 1905 massacre in St Petersburg when Tsarist troops fired on unarmed petitioners, igniting the 1905 Russian Revolution.
- Why is Bloody Sunday called the 'dress rehearsal' for 1917?
- What was the immediate political outcome of Bloody Sunday?
- Who led the Bloody Sunday procession and what did the petition demand?
- How does the 1905 Bloody Sunday differ from the 1972 event?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 22 January 1905

   Bloody Sunday refers to the massacre in St Petersburg when Tsarist troops fired on unarmed petitioners, igniting the 1905 Russian Revolution.

2. 30 January 1972

   The term "Bloody Sunday" has since been applied to other massacres, notably the shooting of civil-rights marchers in Derry, Northern Ireland, by British par…

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Example

In January 1905, Father Georgy Gapon led St Petersburg workers to the Winter Palace, where Tsar Nicholas II's troops fired on them, triggering the Russian Revolution of 1905.

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