Nicholas II, Tsar of Russia

b. 1868; d. 1918, Ekaterinburg

First cousin of King George V of Britain, son of Alexander III, whom he succeeded in 1894. He had considerable personal charm and natural intelligence, and loved his family and country, but he was reactionary in his outlook and of a weak and irresolute character. In reply to an address on his accession by the Tver Zemstvo he spoke of 'senseless dreams of the participation of Zemstvo representatives in the affairs of internal administration' and stated his resolve to maintain the principle of autocracy. However, he was forced by the Revolution of 1905 to grant a constitution providing for a legislative assembly (Duma).

The main events of his reign in external affairs were the strengthening of the Franco-Russian alliance, the convening by Nicholas (on the initiative of Witte) of the Hague conference in 1898 which set up the International Court of Arbitration, the occupation of Port Arthur in 1896 and of Manchuria in 1900, and the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05.

Soon after the beginning of the First World War Nicholas dismissed his uncle, The Grand Duke Nicholas and himself became commander-in-chief of the armed forces, leaving the government of the country to the Empress (Alexandra Feodorovna) and in fact to Rasputin. At the beginning of the February Revolution in 1917 he immediately followed the advice of the Duma leaders and the military commanders to abdicate. He was at first confined to the palace at Tsarskoye Selo, then banished to Tobolsk in Siberia. After the Bolshevik seizure of power Nicholas was brought to Ekaterinburg and, together with his family was shot by the Cheka on the orders of the local Soviet.

© JM Dent/Historybookshop.com

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