To what extent did Tsar Nicholas II s inadequacies in leadership culminate in the decline and fall of the Romanov Dynasty? Although historians have generally acknowledged the personal inadequacies of Tsar Nicholas II as leader of the Romanov dynasty, it was ultimately due to serious weaknesses in the pre-existing autocratic structure that the dynasty came to its decline and fall. Most significantly, Russia had fallen into political instability, where the peasant and middle classes especially, demanded reform. In an empire further thrown into crisis by the effects of war and civil unrest; even a stronger, more capable leader would arguably have struggled to preserve the dynasty. The tsar s reputation was also at stake due to the people s growing disillusionment and dissatisfaction with the autocracy. The rapidly advancing threat of social and political progress proved too great for Russia to sustain autocracy, as 'the collapse of the autocracy was rooted in a crisis of modernisation.' 1 A climate of reform and political terror had developed by the time of Nicholas rule, not only exacerbating his weaknesses as a monarch, but also providing major challenges to the tsarist regime. The spread of liberalism strengthened the people s resolve for a revolution and for their opinions to be heard, such that in Russian society...a demand for politics was fermenting that would not be denied. 2 The absolute control of the tsarist autocracy had allowed Romanov rulers to deny the common people political reforms and improved living conditions. This caused them to rebel, developing opposition groups to challenge this flawed system of leadership. As political parties were illegal until 1905, their suppression led them towards extreme tactics to draw attention to their cause. In this fertile period of covert political insurgency, turmoil extended even to within the various revolutionary groups. The Social Revolutionary Party s differences ended in their separation, with the terrorist group accountable for over 2000 assassinations between 1901 and 1905. These assassinations included interior ministers, the police chief, chief prosecutor, and the Tsar s uncle, Grand Duke Sergei, effectively destabilising the Tsarist government. Notably, Prime Minister Stolypin had been an important advocate for helping the peasant class, but his assassination in 1911 ended his plans for reform and peaceful change. However, the fear of assassination was strife even in the earlier years of the Romanov dynasty. Previous tsars had been killed by nobility, and Tsar Pavel s increasingly paranoid suspicions concluded with his assassination by conspirators in 1801. At 12 years old Nicholas II witnessed the death of his grandfather, Tsar Alexander II, at the hands of socialist revolutionaries, and the consequent strict laws imposed his father, Alexander III. This event evoked fear in Nicholas II for any changes to autocratic rule, stating in his 1895 speech, let all know that I...will uphold the principle of autocracy as firmly and as unflinchingly as my late unforgettable father. 3 He was led by his father s example of increased censorship and the harsher repression of revolutionary activity, as Richard Pipes argues, the conditions in Russia around 1900 resembled those in pre-1789 France in...lack[ing] freedom of speech and representative institutions. 4 However, the middle class was spurred into growing political interest, demanding freedom of expression and societal reformation. With the people's desire of a 1 Smith, SA 2002, The Russian Revolution: A Very Short Introduction, TJ International Ltd., Great Britain. 2 Ferro, M 1995, Nicholas II: Last of the Tsars, Oxford University Press, New York. 3 Tsar Nicholas II, quoted by Traynor, J 1991, Europe 1890 1990, Macmillan, UK. 4 Richard Pipes, as cited by Guttner,D., Revolution in Russia, February 2016
movement towards drastic change, tsarism was a deadlocked political system drifting helplessly towards destruction. 5 Hence, the fall of the Romanov dynasty stemmed from a breakdown in the basic structure of Russian society, in its severe suppression of civil rights, with the assassination of key figures weakening the tsar s government. In addition, dealing with multiple wars and internal revolt, contributed to the difficulties faced by the tsar. The slaughter of nonviolent demonstrators during Bloody Sunday, in 1905, was followed by workers strikes in Russia s cities. Returning after losses in the Russo- Japanese War, servicemen, such those on the battleship Potemkin, also mutinied. As with the Decembrist revolt of 1825, the beginnings of democratic revolution, autocratic policies of repression were employed. In response, Tsar Nicholas II sent troops using brutal force to end outbreaks of rebellion. Alexander II had introduced laws to extend the influence of the police, with the Gendarmerie managing law enforcement and state security, controlling uprisings. The general strike in October 1905 gained momentum with around two million workers participating, and all major factories and railways closed. This intruded on the empire s daily activities, forcing the creation of the October Manifesto. Although war had initially stirred nationalism and support for the Tsar, it exposed the ineffectiveness of the military of a newly industrialised nation. Russian troops had flintlock muskets with a range of 200 yards, while British and French forces had rifles that reached up to 1000 yards, by the Crimean War. 6 Russia fell especially behind the technological advancement of its enemies Germany and Austro-Hungary. This led to humiliating defeats that weakened morale and drained Russia s resources. Involvement in World War I brought on chronic food shortages, labour shortages, because of majority peasant conscription, and ravaged their economy. This heightened tensions created by the government s failing military system. Rioting against the conscription and the war increased, as by autumn 1915 approximately 800,000 Russian soldiers had died, without gains of any substantial regions. Nicholas II s attempts to secure autocracy by rallying the people s support were unsuccessful, as industrialisation and advancement had not evolved enough to sufficiently equip the army. Instead, it was the war that focused the otherwise disparate grievances of the people. 7 Therefore, war accentuated the suffering of the people, which had begun in previous reigns. The growing disillusionment of the people threatened Nicholas II s reputation, intensifying the revolutionary threat to his weak leadership. A flaw of the autocratic system, the gap in relations between the government and people, pushed them to become more open to criticism of the tsar. Following the stampede of 1896, he was persuaded to attend a ball to maintain ties with France, also later touring hospitals, and providing victims with a thousand rubles each - but public word spread only of the unfeeling festivities that had occurred. 8 The people s reverence of the Tsar continued to diminish with the events of Bloody Sunday, although it was the interior minister, who commanded the massacre. This dissatisfaction with autocracy allowed revolutionaries to spread their ideas more easily. The Bolshevik 5 Hamburg, GM 1992, Imperial Russian History Ii, 1861-1917, Garland Publ., New York. 6 Hosking, GA 1997, Russia: People and Empire, 1552-1917, Harvard University Press, United States of America. 7 S. A. Smith, ibid, p. 8 Schrad, ML 2014, Vodka Politics: Alcohol, Autocracy, and the Secret History of the Russian State, Oxford University Press, United States of America.
movement, one half of the Social Democrats, wanted increased popular discontent, rather than the nation s stability, in the hopes of a revolution. As the British ambassador in St Petersburg reported, the Emperor has played into the hands of the revolutionaries, who have not been slow to broadcast the news [about] the workmen of St Petersburg. 9 Thus, political terrorism escalated, and the Gendarmarie and Okhrana were utilised more to quell uprisings. However, their methods of violence increased dislike for the tsar, as did building anti-war sentiments. The unrest built up, strengthening liberal views as repressive measures became so habitual that they ceased to inspire fear in the people. 10 After Tsar Nicholas II took control of the army, he was given the blame for all defeats. As the autocracy was built on the people s belief in the tsar, with ministers and establishment instead blamed for injustice, Nicholas decision exposed the beliefs of the people, causing them to reconsider the past mistakes of the autocracy. Leaving his government run by ministers and led by his wife, provided further complications to Russia s situation. The people distrusted the tsarina due to her German birth, and Rasputin due to the influence he had over the autocracy, and slowly lost faith in the tsar. Thus cultural and social factors contributed to low public opinion of the tsar. However, Tsar Nicholas II was weak-willed and in allowing others influence him, was of significance to the fall of the already declining dynasty. The tsar was unprepared and unwillingly to lead after his father s sudden death, but autocratic expectations constrained him to fulfilling his duty. His wife s influence meant his uninformed decisions were affected by her belief in his capabilities, and the ideas of Rasputin. He was distrustful, constantly replacing ministers to prevent them from growing in power, leaving them inexperienced and inaptly chosen. Nicholas II s upbringing meant that in following his father s leadership, he pursued similar policies to those of past rulers, making only small and delayed concessions. He used the Duma to placate citizens, but dissolved them and continued restrictions when he perceived calm. Tsar Nicholas II was not able to effect the necessary radical changes required to save the dynasty. This was due to the unstable foundations of autocracy laid by previous reigns, as Alexander III told by his father, I am not handing over the empire to you in the favourable circumstances wished. I am bequeathing to you much trouble and care. 11 The failings of Tsar Nicholas II only compounded the inevitable fall of the Romanov dynasty, set into decline by decades of political instability. The hardships of the people accumulated with the consequences of wartime, and their disenchantment with the regime enabled their resistance. The political and societal reformations made were insufficient to satiate the changing times, thus dismantling the tsarist government. Word count: 1649 9 Sir Charles Hardinge, as cited by K. Bourne and D. Cameron Watt, British Documents on Foreign Affairs: Reports and Papers from the Foreign Office Confidential Print, Series A, Vol. 3 (Russia, 1905 1906), University Publications of America, USA, 1983, pp. 17 19. 1906), University Publications of America, USA, 1983, pp. 17 19 10 Central Committee of the C.P.S.U.(B.),, X 1938, The History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Bolsheviks): Short course, OGIZ Gosizdat, Soviet Union. 11 Nicholas I, as cited by Marco Ferro, ibid.
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