On July 16, 1918, in the crowded basement of an old imperial mansion, one of the most unjust and tragic occurrences in Russia’s history took place. The Romanov line that had ruled Russia for over 300 years was terminated. Lenin and the Bolsheviks seized power in October 1917 after the popularity of Tsar Nicholas II had profoundly diminished, forcing the Romanovs into exile in Ekaterinburg. Radicals there took it upon themselves to assassinate the entire family without trial or orders from Lenin and the Bolshevik high command. Tsar Nicholas II [body paragraph 1] Tsar Nikolay Alexandrovich Romanov was the last Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias. The eldest son of Alexander III, he was born on May 18, 1868, in Tsarskoe Solo, Russia (Nicholas II). Nicholas received his education through a network of private tutors who taught him many languages, including very strong English. One of these tutors and the most influential was a renowned university professor named Konstantin Pobedonostsev (Nicholas II). Pobedonostsev is known for teaching Nicholas that the Romanov family ruled as ‘agents of God’ and that the unlimited powers of a Tsar could never be surrendered without throwing away a precious and ancient part of Russian tradition (Nicholas II). Nicholas spent many happy years as a young military commander in the Imperial Guard, a position he expected to hold for a long time. During these years, Princess Alix of Germany agreed to be his wife. Just as everything seemed to be going perfectly for the young man, tragedy struck. Alexander III suddenly fell ill of Kidney Disease and passed away just days before his son’s wedding was supposed to take place. This left a young, grieving 26 year old to take over as ruler of the largest ... ... middle of paper ... ...t Ekaterinburg). The actual corpses of the Romanovs were not found until 1991. The assassination of the Romanovs will forever be one of the darkest parts of Russia’s history. Nicholas II was known by all as a kind and extremely well mannered man who, though too weak willed to rule a country, did not deserve such a gruesome death. As for his wife and children, it is truly disgusting that they were murdered for no fault other than being married/born into the Romanov line. Russia lost a large part of their culture the day the Romanovs died; the family that had ruled for over three centuries was ended, leaving no heirs. In an act of national repent, a memorial service was held for the Tsar and his family in 1998 in St. Petersburg. The Russian Orthodox Church recognizes Nicholas and his family as holy martyrs and they are buried in the beautiful Peter and Paul Cathedral.
With the coinciding of a revolution on the brink of eruption and the impacts of the First World War beginning to take hold of Russia, considered analysis of the factors that may have contributed to the fall of the Romanov Dynasty is imperative, as a combination of several factors were evidently lethal. With the final collapse of the 300 year old Romanov Dynasty in 1917, as well as the fall of Nicholas II, a key reality was apparent; the impact that WWI had on autocratic obliteration was undeniable. However, reflection of Russia’s critical decisions prior is essential in the assessment of the cause of the fall of the Romanov Dynasty.
Nicholas II ruled Russia from 1894-1917 and was to be its final tsar. He ascended the throne under the impression that he would rule his whole life as it's undisputed leader. Accompanied by his wife, Alexandra, they lived a comfortable life of luxury while the country suffered around them. Nicholas was determined to rule as harshly as his father; however, he was a very weak and incompetent character who did not posses the qualities capable of guiding Russia through its time of turmoil.
I can use this source in my research project to defend why Czar Nicholas II is innocent to the abuse of power of the office of Czar.It reveales to me that even thouch Nicholas struggled with being the new Czar he truly did a lot for Russia to improve in learning abilities.Above all else, Nicholas loved Russia first and then his family; He thought the fate of the two was inseparable. No one knew the fault of the Romanov Dynasty better than him. Czar Nicholas sincerely felt his responsibility for the country, He thought that his destiny was within the country he ruled. I think it was really difficult for him but it was the only way to admit his mistakes and to say "sorry" to his people.
The Russian Revolution occured in two stages/times, February nd October of 1917. As cited in document 1, "Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown and a liberal democratic government came to power." What lead to the Febraury Revolution was the peasant agriculture to the Russian population, autocracy, and the outbreak of WW1. A long-term cause was the peasant agriculture to the Russian population. As said in document 1, "For all of its history before the 20th cwntury, 80-95% of the population were poor pasants, farmers just barely scratching a living form the land. For most of that history (between 1694-1861) the majority of these peasants were enserfed." to enserf means to be aprovd of liberty and personal rights. Before 1917 peasants recieved sympathy from
It is indisputable that Nicholas II had a substantial influence on the demise of the dynasty. He had an ardent devotion to his family, he was kind with only benevolent intentions towards his wife and children. It was this devotion that ultimately shifted Nicholas’s priorities, putting his role as a father and husband above his role as a Tsar.
under the autocracy of the Romanovs. Although well intentioned, Nicholas was a weak ruler, out of touch. with his people, easily dominated by others and a firm believer in the autocratic principles taught him by his father. He ruled Russia as an autocrat. Propaganda and the teachings of the Russian Orthodox Church encouraged his people to love and respect their tsar and look on him.
She did not see it coming. None of them did. The last thing she saw was a gun barrel aimed straight at her. Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova was one of five children to the Russian Czar Nicholas II who ruled over Russia. She lived with her mother, the Czarina Alexandra, younger brother: crown prince Alexei, and three older sisters: Olga, Tatiana, and Maria. They lived comfortably until World War I lead to a revolution and their untimely execution. After Anastasia was executed with her family, rumors circulated saying that she escaped and people were quick to claim her identity, but DNA testing insists that she perished that fateful night.
The Romanov family story is one that ends in tragedy and mystery. The Romanov dynasty ruled Russia for over 300 years coming to an end with Nicholas II. The book The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, & The Fall of Imperial Russia, written by Candace Fleming, tells the story of Tsar Nicholas II of how he came to become the Tsar and fell trying to protect his family. Fleming tells the story of young Nicholas coming to power when his father, Alexander III, died and how ill-prepared Nicholas was to rule due to his father’s inferior teaching skills. The story goes on to Nicholas meeting his future wife, Alexandra, and how they had four daughters, Olga, Tatiana, Marie and Anastasia. With each daughter came a disappointment of not having an heir
Nicholas 2's firm and obstinant belief of his commitment to autocracy can be clearly seen in a letter of reply he sent to a liberal zemstvo head before his coronation. "I shall maintain the principal of autocracy just as firmly and unflinchingly as it was preserved by my unforgettable dead father (Alexandra 3)"(Nicholas & Alexandra, Robert K. Massie). His ultra-conservative political outlook was influenced greatly when a child Tsar Nicholas was educated by the reactionary tutor Konstantin Pobenonstev, enemy of all reform. If there were any doubts about Nicholas' belief in autocracy they would have been put to rest. Pobenonstev was once called "The Highest Priest of Social Stagnation". He once declared, "Among the falsest of political principles is the principle of sovereignty of the people".
In 1905 , Russia had a prerevolution that was put down of the Czar. Instead of learning from this prerevolution, Czar Nicholas II, made a very big mistake by in not introducing some reforms to correct the problems. So because of his actions, the situation grew worse. In 1917, the Russians were fighting in World War I. A good majority of the Russian people were weary and uncontent with the way the war was going and with the Czar's rule. This uncontent along with economic hardships caused riots and demonstrations to break out. The Czar called for the army to put down the revolution as they did in 1905. But the army joined the revolt and the Czar was kicked out of power soon afterwards. A temporary government was set up to decide on what kind of government Russia was gonna set up. Two political parties were set up. The Bolsheviks were one of the two. The leader of the Bolshevik party was a man named Lenin. Lenin was a firm believer of the theories and ideas of Karl Marx. So with his slogan of "Bread, Peace and Land", Lenin gained the support of the peasants and gained control of Russia and setup a communist state.
Nicholas I (1796-1855) was born at Tsarskoe Selo, the third son of Czar Paul I. Nicholas came to throne in 1825 after his brother Alexander I had died and his older brother Constantine had given up his claims to the throne. Nicholas’ first action was to put down, with great harshness, a revolt of officers and soldiers who had fought in Europe during the Napoleonic wars and favored reform in Russia. This uprising occurred in the month of December and the rebels became known in Russian history as “Decembrists.'; The new czar ordered the principal leaders killed and the rest exiled to Siberia. He felt there was something wrong with the government of the country, and he thought that Russia needed more discipline rather than liberal reform. Nicholas ordered the codification of Russian laws, reformed finances, and attempted to set limits to serfdom. He made the censorship of newspaper and all opinion even stricter than before, and set up a secret...
In 1895, Nicholas II’s father, the current tsar of Russia, died, so Nicholas II married Alexandra, princess of Hesse-Darmstadt, granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England, and on May 14, 1896, the couple was crowned in a five hour ceremony (Meyer). The day after the coronation, a half a million people rushed to a nearby park to celebrate, but fanned by rumors of shortages of food and drink, a panic swept through the crowd and hundreds died in the ensuing mayhem (Meyer). The decision of the imperial couple to go ahead with the coronation ball despite the tragedy was remembered years later as a sign of the heartlessness of “Bloody Nicholas” and “the German Woman” (Meyer). Later, as Russia’s wartime losses mounted, and hunger and privation became widespread, dislike of the Romanovs intensified accordingly. Nicholas’s misguided attempts to take over the leadership of the military, leaving his wife to manage the affairs of a vast and complex country, further weakened Russia (Meyer). Again, the children of the misguided leader should not have been
In February of 1917 a group of female factory workers and led a revolt in which the Tsar was dethroned, only to be replaced by a provisionary government composed of the Russian elite. When this government did not live up to its promises of an end to Russian involvement in World War I, the Bolsheviks (“majority”), a revolutionary movement led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the provisionary government in what bacame known as the October revolution.
Over the next few years, Russia went through a traumatic time of civil war and turmoil. The Bolsheviks’ Red Army fought the white army of farmers, etc. against Lenin and his ways. Lenin and the Bolsheviks won and began to wean Russia of non-conforming parties eventually banning all non-communist as well as removing an assembly elected shortly after the Bolshevik’s gain of power. Lenin’s strict government, however, was about to get a lot stricter with his death in 1924.
...was alone, Lenin’s leadership that enabled the Bolsheviks to seize power in November 1917. On the other hand, if we consolidate the facts we have covered in the essay we can identify key points that were capitalised on by Lenin such as the weakness of the provisional government and using his influence to motivate the Bolshevik Central Committee, we cannot deny that these were some of the more crucial factors regarding the Bolshevik seizure of power and without them a November Revolution may not have happened. A result of that would be a legitimate leadership within Russia and the Bolsheviks would then be seen as the aggressors. Concluding this we can make the decision that it was not Lenin alone who was the reason for the success of the Bolshevik coup rather an overall period of instability within the Russian leadership and the Bolsheviks offered an alternative.