When did Czar Nicholas II become the ruler of Russia?
Born in 1868, he succeeded to the Russian throne upon the death of his father, Czar Alexander III, in November 1894. That same month, the new czar married Alexandra, a German-born princess who came to have great influence over her husband.
Was Tsar Nicholas II related to Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich?
Tsar Nicholas II was the first cousin-once-removed of Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich. To distinguish between them the Grand Duke was often known within the Imperial family as "Nikolasha" and "Nicholas the Tall", while the Tsar was "Nicholas the Short".
How responsible was King Nicholas II for his fate?
A more realistic study suggests Nicholas was a leader who was more responsible for his own fate than is often suggested. He was out of touch with his people but no more than other monarchs of his era. Early in his reign, he resolved to follow his dead father in upholding and reinforcing the autocratic monarchy.
Why was Nicholas the Great a good ruler?
He placed tradition above his own personal concerns, however, and assumed the throne after the death of Alexander III in 1894. He later pledged to uphold the autocracy bequeathed by his father and to preserve the monarchy for his own son. Nicholas had several admirable qualities.
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What was Nicholas II like as a ruler?
He was a nationalist who professed a love for Russia and its people; he had a strong sense of duty and a stilted affection for the peasantry. But he was also blindly conservative, relied excessively on the advice of aristocratic elites and religious prelates and exhibited some dark prejudices.
What kind of ruler was Nicholas?
The Russian czar, statesman, and autocrat Nicholas I (1796-1855) reigned from 1825 to 1855. During his reign Russian 19th-century autocracy reached its greatest power. The third son of Czar Paul I, Nicholas was tutored in political economy, government, constitutional law, jurisprudence, and public finance.
What type of government did Nicholas II have?
Although he believed in an autocracy, he was eventually forced to create an elected legislature. Nicholas II's handling of Bloody Sunday and World War I incensed his subjects and led to his abdication. Bolsheviks executed him and his family on the night of July 16-17, 1918, in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
Was Nicholas II of Russia a good leader?
Czar Nicholas II He was widely seen as a politically weak and indecisive leader. His poor handling of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, subsequent 1905 uprising of Russian Workers—known as Bloody Sunday—and Russia's involvement in World War I hastened the fall of the Russian Empire.
What was Tsar Nicholas I known for?
He oversaw the construction of two major Orthodox cathedrals that symbolized Russia and its religion—St. Isaac's in St. Petersburg (begun in 1768 and finished under Nicholas) and Christ the Savior in Moscow (Nicholas laid the cornerstone in 1837 but it was not finished until 1883).
Who was the autocratic ruler of Russia?
Ivan III (reigned 1462-1505) built upon Byzantine traditions and laid foundations for the tsarist autocracy which with some variations would govern Russia for centuries. Absolutism in Russia gradually developed during the 17th and 18th centuries, replacing the despotism of the Grand Duchy of Moscow.
How was Nicholas II a weak leader?
Tsar Nicholas II was unable to rule effectively. He made poor decisions that led to worsening relations with the government and increased hardship for civilians and soldiers alike. Nicholas refused to accept any reduction in the absolute power he held.
Was Nicholas II tyrant?
Assessments↑ Nicholas was vilified as a bloody tyrant by the Soviet regime and romanticised as a martyr among Russian émigrés. In post-Soviet Russia he has been canonised, along with his family, by the Russian Orthodox Church.
Was tsar Nicholas a fair ruler in Russia?
No, Tsar Nicholas II was not a fair ruler in Russia. His nickname describes it all "Nicholas the Bloody." Also his oppression and violent executions terrorized the poor.
What good things did Nicholas II do?
Nicholas aimed to strengthen the Franco-Russian Alliance and pursue a policy of European pacification. He initiated and convened the Hague Convention of 1899, designed to end the arms race and solve international disputes peacefully.
Was Nicholas II weak?
Abstract. Tsar Nicholas II of Russia was an unquestionable failure of a monarch. However, much of his demise was due to his lack of education and the accumulation of overpowering advisors that manipulated his weak mental and emotional characteristics.
Was tsar Nicholas a fair ruler in Russia?
No, Tsar Nicholas II was not a fair ruler in Russia. His nickname describes it all "Nicholas the Bloody." Also his oppression and violent executions terrorized the poor.
Was Nicholas II tyrant?
Assessments↑ Nicholas was vilified as a bloody tyrant by the Soviet regime and romanticised as a martyr among Russian émigrés. In post-Soviet Russia he has been canonised, along with his family, by the Russian Orthodox Church.
What two characteristics would define Nicholas throughout his life?
Though he possessed great personal charm, he was by nature timid; he shunned close contact with his subjects, preferring the privacy of his family circle. His domestic life was serene.
How suited was Nicholas II to his position?
Nicholas was mild-mannered, had an excellent memory and a perfect sense of decorum, all of which made him potentially ideal for the largely ceremonial tasks of a constitutional monarch.
Who were Nicholas II’s parents?
Nicholas II’s father was Tsar Alexander III, and his mother was Maria Fyodorovna, daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark.
What was Nicholas II’s family like?
In 1894 Nicholas II married Alexandra, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. They had four daughters—Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia—and one son,...
How did Nicholas II die?
The Russian Revolution toppled the Romanov dynasty, and Nicholas II abdicated on March 15, 1917. The royal family was arrested by the Bolsheviks an...
How did Nicholas II change the world?
Nicholas II was an uncompromising autocrat, and this stance helped provoke the Russian Revolution of 1905. After Russia entered World War I, Nichol...
How much wealth did Nicholas II have?
Estimates of Nicholas II's personal wealth have been vastly exaggerated. As Emperor of All The Russias, and an autocrat, the resources under his command were virtually incalculable. However, the vast majority of this was owned by the state as Crown property; the Romanov family's personal wealth was only a small fraction of this. As monarch, the income of Nicholas was 24 million gold roubles per annum: this derived from a yearly allowance from the Treasury, and from the profits of Crown farmland. From this income, he had to fund staff, the upkeep of imperial palaces and imperial theatres, annuities for the royal family, pensions, bequests, and other outgoings. "Before the end of the year, the Tsar was usually penniless; sometimes he reached this embarrassing state by autumn." According to the Grand Marshal of the Court, Count Paul Benckendorff, the family's total financial resources amounted to between 12.5 and 17.5 million roubles. As a comparison, Prince Felix Yusupov estimated his family's worth in real estate holdings alone as amounting to 50 million gold roubles.
What was Nicholas II's repression of Finland?
In Finland, Nicholas had become associated with deeply unpopular Russification measures. These began with the February Manifesto [ fr] proclaimed by Nicholas II in 1899, which restricted Finland's autonomy and instigated a period of censorship and political repression. A petition of protest signed by more than 500,000 Finns was collected against the manifesto and delivered to St. Petersburg by a delegation of 500 people, but they were not received by Nicholas. Russification measures were reintroduced in 1908 after a temporary suspension in the aftermath of the 1905 Revolution, and Nicholas received an icy reception when he made his only visit to Helsinki on 10 March 1915.
Why did the French government decline to accept the Romanovs?
The French government declined to accept the Romanovs in view of increasing unrest on the Western Front and on the home front as a result of the ongoing war with Germany. The British ambassador in Paris, Lord Francis Bertie, advised the Foreign Secretary that the Romanovs would be unwelcome in France as the ex-Empress was regarded as pro-German.
What was the name of the war that Germany declared on Russia?
In response, Germany declared war on Russia on 1 August 1914 and its ally France on 3 August 1914, starting the Great War, later known as the First World War.
When did Alix and Nicholas get engaged?
Thus once she changed her mind, Nicholas and Alix became officially engaged on 20 April 1894. Nicholas's parents initially hesitated to give the engagement their blessing, as Alix had made poor impressions during her visits to Russia. They gave their consent only when they saw Tsar Alexander's health deteriorating.
Where did Nicholas go on a world tour?
Nicholas visited Egypt, India, Singapore, and Siam (Thailand), receiving honors as a distinguished guest in each country.
Where was Nicholas born?
Grand Duke Nicholas was born on 18 May [ O.S. 6 May] 1868, in the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoye Selo south of Saint Petersburg, during the reign of his grandfather Emperor Alexander II. He was the eldest child of then- Tsesarevich Alexander Alexandrovich and his wife, Tsesarevna Maria Feodorovna (née Princess Dagmar of Denmark). Grand Duke Nicholas' father was heir apparent to the Russian throne as the second but eldest surviving son of Emperor Alexander II of Russia. He had five younger siblings: Alexander (1869–1870), George (1871–1899), Xenia (1875–1960), Michael (1878–1918) and Olga (1882–1960). Nicholas often referred to his father nostalgically in letters after Alexander's death in 1894. He was also very close to his mother, as revealed in their published letters to each other.
When did Nicholas II abdicate?
In March 1917 , the army garrison at Petrograd joined striking workers in demanding socialist reforms, and Nicholas II was called on to abdicate. On March 15, he renounced the throne in favor of his brother Michael, whose refusal of the crown brought an end to the czarist autocracy in Russia.
What did Nicholas do to the Russian Revolution?
As the ruler of Russia, Nicholas resisted calls for reform and sought to maintain czarist absolutism; although he lacked the strength of will necessary for such a task. The disastrous outcome of the Russo-Japanese War led to the Russian Revolution of 1905, which Nicholas only diffused after approving a representative assembly–the Duma–and promising constitutional reforms. The czar soon retracted these concessions and repeatedly dissolved the Duma, contributing to the growing public support enjoyed by the Bolsheviks and other revolutionary groups.
What happened to Nicholas and Alexandra?
Suddenly, a dozen armed men burst into the room and gunned down the imperial family in a hail of gunfire.
Who was the last czar of Russia?
Nicholas II, the last czar, is crowned ruler of Russia in the old Ouspensky Cathedral in Moscow. Nicholas was neither trained nor inclined to rule, which did not help the autocracy he sought to preserve in an era desperate for change. Born in 1868, he succeeded to the Russian throne upon the death of his father, Czar Alexander III, in November 1894.
Who took over the Russian army in 1915?
In 1915, the czar personally took over command of the army, leaving the Czarina Alexandra in control at home. Her unpopular court was dominated by the Russian mystic Rasputin, who replaced the czar’s competent ministers and officials with questionable nominees.
Who was the leader of the first communist country?
In November 1917, the Bolsheviks led by Vladimir Lenin seized power in Russia and set about establishing the world’s first communist state. In April 1918, Nicholas and his family were transferred to Yekaterinburg in the Urals, which sealed their doom. Civil war broke out in Russia in June 1918, and in July the anti-Bolshevik “White” Russian forces advanced on Yekaterinburg during a campaign against the Bolshevik forces. Local authorities were ordered to prevent a rescue of the Romanovs, and after a secret meeting by the Yekaterinburg Soviet, a death sentence was passed on the imperial family.
What was Nicholas II's role in the world?
Woefully unprepared for such a role, Nicholas II has been characterized as a naïve and incompetent leader. At a time of enormous social and political change in his country, Nicholas held fast to outdated, autocratic policies and opposed reform of any kind.
Where was Nicholas II born?
Early Life. Nicholas II, born in Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg, Russia, was the first child of Alexander III and Marie Feodorovna (formerly Princess Dagmar of Denmark). Between 1869 and 1882, the royal couple had three more sons and two daughters. The second child, a boy, died in infancy.
Why was Alix reluctant to marry Nicholas?
A devout Lutheran, Alix was hesitant at first because marriage to a future czar meant that she must convert to the Russian Orthodox religion. After a day of contemplation and discussion with family members, she agreed to marry Nicholas.
How old was Nicholas the Czar when he died?
Despite a steady stream of doctors and priests who visited him, the czar died on November 1, 1894, at the age of 49. Twenty-six-year-old Nicholas reeled from both the grief of losing his father and the tremendous responsibility now placed upon his shoulders.
How did the Russian Revolution happen in 1917?
In March 1917, 200,000 protesters converged in the capital city of Petrograd (formerly St. Petersburg) to protest the czar's policies. Nicholas ordered the army to subdue the crowd. By this point, however, most of the soldiers were sympathetic to the protesters' demands and thus just fired shots into the air or joined the ranks of the protesters. There were still a few commanders loyal to the czar who forced their soldiers to shoot into the crowd, killing several people. Not to be deterred, the protesters gained control of the city within days, during what came to be known as the February/March 1917 Russian Revolution .
How tall was Alexander III?
What he was not schooled in, unfortunately for Russia, was how to function as a monarch. Czar Alexander III, healthy and robust at 6-foot-4, planned to rule for decades. He assumed there would be plenty of time to instruct Nicholas in how to run the empire.
What did Nicholas do in 1891?
While visiting Japan, Nicholas survived an assassination attempt in 1891 when a Japanese man lunged at him, swinging a sword at his head. The attacker's motive was never determined. Although Nicholas suffered only a minor head wound, his concerned father ordered Nicholas home immediately.
What is the role of Nicholas II?
Most cinematic depictions of Nicholas II emphasize his role as a devoted father and husband and this was not that far off from the mark, although they also omit his well-known antisemitism. He was by most accounts a decent family man and his personal household very much resembled that of Queen Victoria. The royal family in tsarist iconography emphasized the almost bourgeois quality of Nicholas II's family. For example, Nicholas II was the first tsar to actually share a sleeping bed with his wife. Nicholas II even humored his wife's patronage of the monk Rasputin, a man the tsar never really trusted or liked.
What was the result of the 1905 Revolution?
The monarchy itself was shaken to its core during the Revolution of 1905, which occurred during the disastrous Russo-Japanese War , which was another blunder of Nicholas II's government. The Romanovs weathered the 1905 Revolution, but needed to accept a limited constitution and a legislature called the Duma. However, the 1905 Revolution resulted in a peculiar political situation that some historians have described as "constitutional absolutism." Stolypin tried to act like Bismarck, that is as a White Revolutionary who would reform society while using nationalism to strengthen the monarchy against democracy. Stolypin not only used legal methods to muzzle the Duma, he also used extralegal violence of the Black Hundreds group to restore the countryside to order in 1905 and the threat of state violence to keep the Duma in check. The Emperor never openly endorsed this violence done in his name, but he never disavowed it either. Nicholas II though was a check to Stolypin's ambitious plan to create a conservative qausi-democracy with a pliant Duma. Unlike Bismarck's tractable Wilhelm I, Nicholas II was unwilling to cede political power to his prime minister. The result was that after the 1905 Revolution, the Russian state limped along, apparently intact and with some strengths, but with a number of unresolved political and social tensions.
What was the worst thing that happened to the Romanovs?
The First World War was in many respects the absolute worst thing for the Romanovs. The economic stresses of the wartime economy, coupled with the losses of some of the empire's prosperous Western regions, exacerbated preexisting tensions between the state and Russia's working classes. The war also unleashed greater ethnic stresses within the multiethnic empire, which were simmering prior to 1914, but war brought them to a boil. Nicholas II, in a blunder characteristic of much of his rule, tried to take a more hands on approach to the handling of the war. Although he often deferred to military professionals, his rather public assumption of supreme command further damaged his battered prestige. When revolution came in early 1917, Nicholas II abdicated after it was clear that the monarchy could not cling to power as it did in 1905. The Russian Provisional Government tried to re-stabilize Russia, but were unable to control the increasingly radicalized Russian street. This led to a second Russian revolution in 1917, which brought the Bolsheviks to power. Nicholas II and his family became something of a political football during the resulting Russian civil war. The remnants of the Provisional Government sought to exile him to further distance themselves from the previous regime while traditionalist and anti-Bolshevik White forces wanted to use the Romanovs as a rallying point to retake the country.The Bolsheviks ended up in control physical control over the tsar and his family in the Urals town of Yekaterinburg. Some in Moscow wanted to put Nicholas II on trial as a symbolic propaganda victory, but such an undertaking would have been difficult. Eventually, the proximity of a local White army led the local Bolsheviks to forge documents claiming that Nicholas II was plotting with France to restore the monarchy as a pretext to execute the whole family.
How did Oskar Schindler save Jews?
Oskar Schindler saved many Jews from death in the death camps by employing them in his factory. Are there any examples of something similar happening in the US, such as a slaver owner buying up slaves in order to set them free or have them work for him and live under favourable conditions?
Who is the most well known Roman?
Caesar is clearly the most well-known Roman. If you ask any average person in a Western country if they can name a Roman, they would likely name Caesar, and it's also striking that so many leaders from history referred to themselves as Caesars — the Prussian and Austrian Kaisers, Russian Tzars, I just read a bio of Charles V and he referred to himself as "Caesar." Even the Roman emperors would call themselves Caesars. But why is Caesar such a respected name?
Was Nicholas II a tsar?
These tendencies came to the fore as Russia felt increasing pressures from modernization and industrialization. Russian cities grew tremendously at the turn of the century and the ancient Romanov monarchy and its absolutist state appeared increasingly archaic for many Russians. The tsars ordinarily relied on a cadre of able servitors to run the state and Nicholas II inherited his father's able servant Sergei Witte and later had Pyotr Stolypin to help him. But Nicholas II never really trusted these men and was ill at ease with being a tsar in an age of mass politics.
What did Czar Nicholas believe?
He believed that he would enjoy the total submission of the poor and the peasantry in Russian society. It never occurred to him that he needed to be more accessible to them, more reachable, and ensure that their voice was validated. His refusal to work with the poor in Russian society as well as his autocratic measures in suppressing and silencing their voice contributed to intense dissatisfaction. While he felt that entering World War I could silence this, Czar Nicholas failed to understand that Russian participation in the war was not going to be decisive. His failure to navigate a successful entry or a skilled exit strategy condemned him to the mercy of his critics, which were growing in large numbers. Czar Nicholas' limitations as a leader also translated into domestic political messaging, something that he sorely lacked. Unable to stop public perception that his wife failed to care for Russia and that members of his cabinet such as Rasputin were actually running the country, Czar Nicholas was seen as ineffective, at best.
How did the execution of the Czar and his family demonstrate how the Russian people ended up viewing him?
The cold and brutal execution of Russia's last royal family demonstrated how the public wished to erase he and his rule from memory. Enhanced by his own limitation, the Czar brings this upon himself by making critical miscalculations and failing to effectively recognize them.
Did Czar Nicholas understand the transformation taking place between an older order and a new one?
Czar Nicholas did not understand the transformation taking place between an older order and a new one. When Virginia Woolf speaks of Modernism as being a "shifting" between relationships, Czar Nicholas fell victim such a transformation.
Why did Nicholas II take the throne?
1. Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia and the son of Alexander III, took the throne swearing to preserve the autocracy. 2. He was intelligent and well-travelled but lacked both the demeanour and foresight to rule at a time of unfolding change. 3.
Who was Nicholas the son of?
Born in Tsarskoye Selo in 1868, Nicholas was the eldest son of Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna, a Danish princess. Nicholas’ father would later reimpose autocracy and political oppression in Russia after the assassination of Alexander II. In stark contrast to his father, Nicholas was short, shy and softly-spoken.
What was Alexandra's relationship with Rasputin?
They married against the wishes and advice of others. 5. Alexandra was devoutly religious and strong-willed: her association with Rasputin and her political advice and influence on Nicholas during times of crisis contributed to the downfall of tsarism. Citation information. Title: “Tsar Nicholas II”.
What rank did Nicholas serve in?
In his youth, Nicholas served in the imperial cavalry and attained the rank of colonel. He also had the opportunity to travel widely through Europe and Asia. In 1891, while visiting the Japanese city of Otsu, Nicholas was attached by a Japanese bodyguard, who struck him in the head with a sabre.
What was Alexandra's friendship with Grigori Rasputin?
In addition, Alexandra’s friendship with Grigori Rasputin only disrupted and undermined the tsarist regime, particularly in its final year. Though Nicholas was more suspicious of Rasputin and his behaviour, he allowed the continued presence of the Siberian faith healer in the royal court in order to placate his wife.
Who was the tsar who declared he never wanted to rule?
As Tsarevich, Nicholas famously expressed reluctance about becoming tsar, declaring that he “never wanted to rule”. He placed tradition above his own personal concerns, however, and assumed the throne after the death of Alexander III in 1894. He later pledged to uphold the autocracy bequeathed by his father and to preserve ...
Who was the last tsar of Russia?
Nicholas II (1868-1918) was the last tsar of Russia, reigning from November 1894 until his overthrow in March 1917. Along with his family, he was detained by the Provisional Government and then the Bolsheviks, before being executed in Ekaterinburg in July 1918. Most historians agree that Nicholas lacked the capacity or vision to rule Russia ...
Overview
Accession and reign
Despite a visit to the United Kingdom in 1893, where he observed the House of Commons in debate and was seemingly impressed by the machinery of constitutional monarchy, Nicholas turned his back on any notion of giving away any power to elected representatives in Russia. Shortly after he came to the throne, a deputation of peasants and workers from various towns' local assem…
Early life and family background
Grand Duke Nicholas was born on 18 May [O.S. 6 May] 1868, in the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoye Selo south of Saint Petersburg, during the reign of his grandfather Emperor Alexander II. He was the eldest child of then-Tsesarevich Alexander Alexandrovich and his wife, Tsesarevna Maria Feodorovna (née Princess Dagmar of Denmark). Grand Duke Nicholas' father was heir apparent t…
Tsesarevich
On 1 March 1881, following the assassination of his grandfather, Tsar Alexander II, Nicholas became heir apparent upon his father's accession as Alexander III. Nicholas and his other family members bore witness to Alexander II's death, having been present at the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, where he was brought after the attack. For security reasons, the new Tsar and his family relo…
Engagement and marriage
In April 1894, Nicholas joined his Uncle Sergei and Aunt Elizabeth on a journey to Coburg, Germany, for the wedding of Elizabeth's and Alix's brother, Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse, to their mutual first cousin Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Other guests included Queen Victoria, Kaiser Wilhelm II, the Empress Frederick (Kaiser Wilhelm's mother and Queen Victoria'…
Revolution
Nicholas had suffered a coronary occlusion only four days before his abdication. At the end of the "February Revolution", Nicholas II chose to abdicate on 2 March (O.S.) / 15 March (N.S.) 1917. He first abdicated in favor of Alexei, but a few hours later changed his mind after advice from doctors that Alexei would not live long enough while separated from his parents, who would be forced in…
Identification
In 1979, the bodies of Tsar Nicholas II, Tsaritsa Alexandra, three of their daughters, and those of four non-family members killed with them, were discovered near Sverdlovsk (Yekaterinburg) by amateur archaeologist Alexander Avdonin. In January 1998, the remains excavated from underneath the dirt road near Yekaterinburg were officially identified as those of Nicholas II and his fa…
Funeral
After the DNA testing of 1998, the remains of the Emperor and his immediate family were interred at St. Peter and Paul Cathedral, Saint Petersburg, on 17 July 1998, on the eightieth anniversary of their assassination. The ceremony was attended by Russian President Boris Yeltsin, who said, "Today is a historic day for Russia. For many years, we kept quiet about this monstrous crime, but the truth has to be spoken."
Early Life
The Young Tsarevich
Betrothal to Alix and The Death of The Czar
Czar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra
- Nicholas, as the new czar, struggled to keep up with his duties, which began with planning his father's funeral. Inexperienced in planning such a grand-scale event, Nicholas received criticism on many fronts for the numerous details that were left undone. On November 26, 1894, just 25 days after Czar Alexander’s death, the period of mourning was in...
The Russo-Japanese War
Bloody Sunday and The Revolution of 1905
Alexandra and Rasputin
World War I and The Murder of Rasputin
The End of A Dynasty
Exile of The Romanovs