thumb|right|300px|Demonstration 17 October 1905 by [[Ilya Repin<br/>(Russian Museum. St. Petersburg)]]
The October Manifesto (), officially "The Manifesto on the Improvement of the State Order" (), is a document that served as a precursor to the Russian Empire's first Constitution, which was adopted the following year in 1906. The Manifesto was issued by Tsar Nicholas II (1868–1918, ruled 1894–1917), under the influence of Sergei Witte (1849–1915), on as a response to the Russian Revolution of 1905. Nicholas strenuously resisted these ideas, but gave in after his first choice to head a military dictatorship, Grand Duke Nicholas, threatened to shoot himself in the head if the Tsar did not accept Witte's suggestion. which was proclaimed in all the churches.
Prelude
While France, Great Britain, and the United States had chosen democracy in one form or another, the Russian Empire maintained its ancient autocratic government, headed by the Tsar. Russia had in the early 1890s, under the guidance of Minister of Finance Sergei Witte, embarked on a state-led programme of industrialization through foreign investments and the imposition of tariffs.
However, the rapid growth in industry during this period was not met by political reform, leading an expanding working class to become heavily discontented. Nonetheless, peasants still formed 80% of the population and, despite the emancipation of the serfs by Tsar Alexander II, agrarian problems were still marked. Russia, remaining a mostly agricultural economy, created economic issues and conflict between the differing social classes, as well as the government of the Russian Autocracy.
The conflict created by Russia’s economic and political issues climaxed in the months prior to October 1905, also known as the Russian Revolution of 1905. However this protest was violently put down outside the Winter Palace when guards were ordered to fire on the protesters.
This document, although granting certain rights to the Russian people, did not guarantee that the Russian government would function in a democratic way. Instead, the Manifesto just stated that the people now had certain rights and a voice in legislation.
The freedom of religion clause outraged the Russian Orthodox Church because it allowed people to convert to evangelical Protestantism, which they denounced as heresy.
The Duma
One provision of the Manifesto was the creation of a legislative body in Russia, which was intended to limit the power of the Autocrat in favour of the Russian people.