Romanov Dynasty Research Paper

How far was the First World War the main cause of the fall of the Romanovs in February 1917?

Power is something that is often used carelessly, even with its great importance. In the Family Romanov by Candace Fleming, power is used carelessly. In the Family Romanov, the tsar of Imperial Russia, Nicholas refused to give the people the rights and things they wanted and deserved. His refusal to do so eventually ended with Nicholas and the imperial family’s assassination. His inability to make just decisions without the “help” of his wife Alexandra and the “holy man” Rasputin resulted in his death. Nicholas stayed “blissfully” ignorant to all his subject’s sufferings and eventually paid the price for it. Fleming’s argument about power is that power is not a child’s toy, as power should be in use by someone fit to rule the proletariat fairly and it should be something to be used with responsibility and caution.

The Romanov Dynasty Even with a stable government, monarchs, dynasties, and powerful royal families experience ups and downs with their rule over their people. The adept Romanov family (1617-1917) was executed in 1918 in secret during an overthrow from Russia’s 120 million starving people. With the help of the family’s closest officials, Russia had successfully concluded the rule of a Russian royal empire. The political and social ups and downs the family was facing made the Romanovs vulnerable to an overall decline. Russia, being one of the strongest countries economically and population wise, has shown how easily and how quickly one can dethrone their country.

It was not overthrown. As in all modern revolutions, the first cracks appear at the top”. The fall of the Romanov Dynasty was due to internal factors as well as new revolutionary ideas. This essay will analyse the effects of different

The beginning of the 20th century brought radical changes to the social and political structure of autocratic Russia. It was a period of regression, reform, revolution and eradication. Eradication of a blood line that had remained in rule for over 300 years; the Romanov Dynasty. The central figure of this eradication was Tsar Nicholas II, often described as an incompetent leader, absent of the “commanding personality nor the strong character and prompt decision which are so essential to an autocratic ruler...” (Sir G. Buchman, British ambassador to Russia from 1910 in H. Seton-Watson, The

The Romanov dynasty began in 1613, however 1917 saw an abrupt end to the Romanov’s with the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II. Demonstrations and strikes gripped the Russian people and with anti-governmental soldiers taking control, the Tsar had no alternative but to abdicate. Historians such as Michael Lynch1 and John Daborn2 state that in Russia’s great need of strength and power came a Tsar of weakness and limited outlook. However historians such as Ray Pearson believe that in aggressive opposition groups and with the help of the working class aimed to bring down the Tsardom at all costs.

Therefore, morale in Russia was not a reason why there was an outbreak of revolution in 1917. Nevertheless, the few military successes could not make up for the shocking casualty list revealed later on in wartime. Also, when the economic and military problems arose they could have been tolerable for the general public if they were encouraged by the people at the top such as the Tsar but no leadership was shown. Though this was a problem in Russia the morale in Russia was not too bad although people did begin to focus more on taking care of themselves because of the effects of the war on everyday life. On the other hand, the fact that central leadership was not being provided to the Russian public, criticisms began to be pointed directly at the Tsar. Nicholas failed in being commander-in-chief of the Russian armed services. He did not encourage war effort and did not prove to be the appropriate representative for the Russian people. In addition, the fact that he took on this important role meant that he was responsible for the wars consequences and the survival of Tsardom depended on military success. Due to the lack of success, Nicholas II was blamed and not his generals. This was a reason for the revolution in February 1917 to happen as it appeared to the citizens of Russia that they did not have a strong leader, also the tsarist system’s claim to the loyalty of the Russian people had been forfeited thus

With over a century of military and civil discontent the Romanov Dynasty was bound to fall sooner or later. The fall of the Romanov Dynasty was a result of long-term causes including Tsar Alexander’s inability to satisfy his people and Tsar Nicholas II’s inability to rule to throne all together. The collapse was also an outcome of immediate causes; the effects of World War One on Russia and the 1917 revolution. All long-term and immediate cause played a crucial role in stirring the nation until Russia was clearly overdue to be overthrown.

The fall of the Romanov Dynasty in 1914 proved that the Tsar could not handle the problems of Russia. Ironically, he would have been ideal as a constitutional monarch, but was adamant against the idea. As the First World War started Russia’s problems arises, from short-term and long-term causes. The war brought back inflation which led to “demonstrations over food shortages combined with workers’ grievances,” (Hosking, 2012, p. 91) thus this destroyed Nicholas’s image as Father of Russia. Military became ineffective as the transport system was not adequate, thus leading to food supplies decreasing in key cities such as Petrograd. Historians believe the impacts of the First World War led to Russian society becoming unstable and was ultimately the main reason of the downfall of the Tsar. However other factors, such as the Tsarina placing large amounts of trust into Rasputin who was notorious for his reputation as an alcoholic and a womanizer (Westwood, 2002, p. 215) and the role of the revolutionaries due to Lenin promising peace, land and bread, eventually leading to the growth of the Bolsheviks Party. Although, it can most rightfully be deemed that the impact of the war was the main reason for the fall of Tsar Nicholas II in 1917.

This demonstrates that since the stress of waging war was tremendous, it should be no surprise that the first war could be a primary cause of the Russian Revolution. Moreover, the major powers of Europe hurt Russia in World War I; yet, by 1917, all the combatants horrifically suffered from the strains of war economically, proving this to be a long-term cause. This was, to a great extent, considerable because the military defeats and social strains of World War I had created a crisis in Imperial Russia. Before, Russia had some military accomplishments and they were on their way to being successful. Nevertheless, their triumphs were not long-standing; hence, Russia was not able to be victorious due to the fact that Russia decreased in economy because of the limitations in Russia. Similarly, restraints included the shortage of food and the huge problems with getting the obligatory materials for the army during World War I, which shows that this was momentous. Along with Russia being defeated and having a scarcity of supplies, Russia also showed economic oppression due to the pressure in jobs workers faced.

Until the sixteenth century, the world used four main substances for commodity. These substances were; gold, silver, copper, and various shells. Out of all these substances it would be silver, that was used as a commodity and a type of currency. This allowed a all-encompassing network of global trade in the sixteenth century to be created. The need for silver grew from the sixteenth century until about 1750. China’s demand for silver served as an engine for world trade. The Japanese Tokugawa Shogunate and Spanish empire earned a substantial portion of silver profits from several of the mines they controlled.

In 1917 the Russian revolution had began, this was the biggest factor in the fall of the Romanov dynasty. The white Russians arrested the tsarist and abdicated him from his throne putting Nicholas and his family on house arrest and he was no longer known as the Tsar, replacing him with a Bolshevik government. The red Russians had captured Nicholas and his family causing a civil war between the white and red Russians. In July 1918 Lenin and his red Russian squad had won the civil war, and shot Nicholas and his family, leaving Russia a communist country until the 1990’s.

The quote I chose was from chapter 10, page 118. “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.” This quote illustrates the work's meaning because it shows that the pigs are now no different that the humans. They are both greedy for power and would rather let others suffer than share.

In high school, there are many opportunities to become involved in activities throughout the school year. Whether it’s a club such as Chess Club or a sport in which athletes can compete, students have numerous opportunities to get involved. These opportunities help prepare students for life by teaching them important lessons. Although clubs can teach students some major life skills, they do not teach the students as much as a student actively involved in high school sports. High school athletics teach students valuable life lessons, they teach students how to manage what is important in their life, and they teach students to remain physically active throughout life. High school sports are an important key to teens becoming successful in life and should not be taken for granted.

The Russia of today is not that of the past; Russia throughout history has encountered countless changes in regards to the type of governmental powers they have possessed. Previously, Russia was known as the Russian Empire, being categorized as an unlimited government in which leaders have all the power. “Alexander the Terrible” is considered the original Czar—emperor of Russia; the ruling of Czars ended during the Russian Revolution which followed with the interaction in World War I. Thus, leading to the exoneration of Nicholas II in 1917. Following the involvement of World War I, what was known as the Russian Empire evolved into the Bolshevik party which finally became the Soviet Union. Vladimir Lenin was the leader of this transition