1894 - 1917
Nicholas II was a chip off the old block, and was hell-bent on
keeping the autocracy his father had established. As the Industrial Revolution’s influence crept
into Imperial Russia, several political groups were formed, including the
Constitutional Democrats, Socialist-Revolutionaries, and the Social
Democrats. After losing a war with the Japanese
in 1904-1905, things began to steadily go downhill for the autocracy. In January of 1905, a massive crowd gathered
in Saint Petersburg with a petition for the Tsar. When the crowd arrived at the Tsar’s palace, soldiers
open fired, massacring the hundreds of Russians. This became known as “Bloody Sunday.” Infuriated, a general strike ensued with a demand
for a democratic republic, sparking the beginning of the Russian Revolution of
1905. Later that year, in October,
Nicholas gave his well-known October Manifesto, which created a legislative
branch of government and gave the people the right to vote.
And then came World War I.
The Russians were optimistic, and, in August 1914, they invaded East
Prussia to support their allies, the French and the British.
However, Germany’s control of the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea hindered the
Russians’ ability to resupply. The
following year, as things began to look increasingly grim back home, and with
rumors of another uprising, Nicholas II took personal control of his army and moved to
the front lines, leaving his wife, Alexandra, in charge. However, in February of 1917, the Tsarist
government was overthrown by a revolution, ending the reign of the tsars. This marked the end of the Russian Empire. Nicholas II and his family were executed the following year.
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