Final days of the dynasty |
Some extra resources... |
Nicholas II was "inexperienced and ill prepared" for running the Russian empire, even complaining to his brother in law that he was not prepared to be a Tsar, never wanted to become one and knew nothing about the business of ruling (Dennett and Dixon, 2008, p. 30). As a result and at fear of appearing weak, Nicholas ruled as an autocrat.
The effects of WW1 on Russia exasperated pre-existing political, social and economic problems, leading to the eventual abdication of the Tsar on the 2nd of March, 1917. Christian (1986) argues that Nicholas' incapability of seeing alternatives and addressing issues also contributed to the eventual downfall of the Romanovs so that "when the revolution finally came in 1917, it swept away not only the autocratic government, but the whole traditional ruling group of Russia" (p. 135). More food shortages, exasperated by the war, led to outbreaks of violence in February 1917. In March 1917, a provisional government was established by Prince Lyov and as Nicholas II attempted to return to St Petersburg to address the situation, his train was stopped. On March 2, 1917, Nicholas abdicated from the throne. The Romanov family were executed at Ekaterinburg on July 17th, 1918, officially ending the Romanov Dynasty. |
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