Sergei Witte was an influential policy maker. He persuaded the Tsar to pass his October Manifesto. Issued in 1905, it promised significant political reform, although most of these promises were ...

This greatly reduced the power of the Kadets. Liberal Octoberists (those who agreed with the October Manifesto) had more influence as did SRs, Bolsheviks and Mensheviks. The second Duma lasted for ...