The Decline and Fall of the Romanov Dynasty - Detailed Notes

Focus Questions

• Who were the Romanovs and what was their impact on Russia?

• How and why was the Romanov dynasty overthrown?

• How reliable are the sources from this period?

Key Concepts and Skills

• Analysis and use of sources: Understand varying perspectives in sources to inform interpretations.

• Historical interpretation: Recognize the range of interpretations of the fall of the Romanovs and how historians develop viewpoints from evidence.

• Explanation and communication: Communicate understanding of the reasons for the fall of the Romanovs using relevant sources.

• Historical investigation and research: Develop historical questions to understand the reasons for and consequences of change during the decline and fall of the Romanovs.

Learning Goals

• Understand the reasons for the decline and fall of the Romanovs.

• Access and apply a range of relevant sources that help explain the decline and fall of the Romanovs.

• Understand the implications of the fall of the Romanovs on shaping Europe in the twentieth century.

Introduction

• The Romanov dynasty ruled Russia from 1613 to 1917.

• By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, their rule was corrupt and inefficient.

• Tsar Alexander III died in 1894, and his son Nicholas II succeeded him.

• Nicholas II admitted he was unprepared to rule.

The Russian Empire in the Time of Nicholas II

• The Russian Empire was vast, covering one-sixth of the world's land surface.

• The population was diverse, including Slavs, Germans, and Poles.

• Less than half of the population was ethnically Russian.

• The empire was recognized as a European power but was socially, economically, and politically behind Western Europe.

• The economy was primarily agrarian: 82% of the population were peasant farmers in 1897.

• Industrial development was slower than in Britain and Germany.

• A worldwide industrial boom in the 1890s and economic reforms led to economic growth in Russia.

• The industrial working class made up only 4% of the population in 1897.

• The upper class (nobility, military officers, church officials) accounted for 12% of the population.

• The emerging middle class (merchants, factory owners, white-collar workers, intelligentsia) accounted for 1.5% of the population.

• The Tsar and his court made up 0.5% of the population.

Nicholas' Rule as an Autocrat

• Russia had not advanced politically compared to Western Europe, where representative governments had developed.

• Nicholas II, like his father, ruled as an autocrat, with unlimited power.

• There was no parliament; ministers and civil service officials were appointed by the Tsar.

• Censorship and the secret police prevented ideas for political reform from being expressed.

• Nicholas refused to grant concessions to those who wanted political reform.

• British historian Orlando Figes argued that Nicholas tried to take Russia back to the seventeenth century.

Key Events in the Life of Nicholas II and the Fall of the Romanov Dynasty

• 1868: Nicholas Romanov was born on May 18.

• 1894: Nicholas married Princess Alix (Alexandra) and became Tsar Nicholas II after his father's death.

• 1895-1904: The royal children were born: Olga (1895), Tatiana (1897), Marie (1899), Anastasia (1901), and Alexis (1904). Alexis suffered from haemophilia.

• 1905: Russia's war with Japan ended in defeat. The 1905 Revolution led to the October Manifesto, promising political reform and the country's first constitution.

• 1906: The first Russian Duma (parliament) met but was dissolved after 10 weeks because it questioned the tsar's powers. The anti-tsarist forces failed to unify.

• 1914: World War I broke out. Russia was economically incapable of fighting a large-scale modern war.

• 1915: Nicholas became commander-in-chief of the Russian Army, associating himself with military failures.

• 1916: The Russians launched an unsuccessful offensive against Austria-Hungary. Gregory Rasputin was murdered in December.

• 1917: Nicholas abdicated in the face of revolution. Russia became a republic, and a Provisional Government was formed. The Bolsheviks refused to join.

• 1918: Nicholas, Alexandra, and their children were executed at Ekaterinburg on July 17. The Romanov dynasty ended.

Russia's Relationships with Foreign Powers

• Russia had always been on the fringes of Europe.

• Vast distances helped Russia defeat Napoleon in 1812.

• The French Revolution of 1789 and the 1848 revolutions had little impact on Russia.

• Russia fought against Britain, France, and Turkey in the Crimean War (1853-56) and was defeated.

• In 1904-05, Russia fought against Japan in the Russo-Japanese War and was defeated. This marked the first time an Asian power defeated a modern European power, exposing Russian weaknesses and corruption.

• The Russo-Japanese War and World War I led Russia to focus on domestic affairs.

The Character of Nicholas II

• Source 7: Nicholas wore simple peasant clothing and preferred to speak Russian.

• Source 8 (Leon Trotsky): Nicholas was unstable and treacherous, charming to courtiers but dismissive of gifted individuals. He was comfortable only with mediocre people.

• Source 9 (Hugh Seton-Watson): Nicholas was a devoted husband and father, loved the country, and was a good landlord but understood little of constitutional, social, and economic problems.

• Source 10 (Sir George Buchanan): Nicholas had quick intelligence, a cultivated mind, and extraordinary charm but lacked his father's commanding personality and decisiveness.

Discussion Points

• Assess Nicholas' character based on the sources.

• Why was Nicholas' desire to rule as an autocrat likely to fail?

• Did Nicholas possess the qualities to be a good ruler in the 20th century?

• Discuss why there would be different perspectives of Nicholas. How many sources are based on personal knowledge?

The Development of Opposition to the Romanovs

• In the nineteenth century, modern revolutionary and reformist ideas like liberalism and socialism spread into Russia.

• Rising literacy rates and the growing middle and industrial working classes agitated for change.

• This led to revolutionary activism due to the intransigence of the autocratic regime.

• Military defeats in the Russo-Japanese War added to grievances, leading to the 1905 Revolution.

The 1905 Revolution

• A poor harvest in 1902 intensified peasant poverty, leading to land seizures and property destruction.

• Disorder spread to cities, and strikes threatened to paralyse the economy.

• The war with Japan brought unexpected difficulties, disrupting agriculture and food supplies due to mobilisation.

• Economic hardships and discontent with the war led to a series of defeats.

Bloody Sunday

• The 1905 Revolution was triggered by a strike in the Putilov steelworks in St Petersburg on January 16.

• The strike was caused by the dismissal of men belonging to the Assembly of Russian Workers, founded by Father George Gapon.

• Gapon organised a protest march and petition to the Tsar at the Winter Palace on January 22.

• About 150,000 people marched, carrying religious icons and portraits of the Tsar.

• The petition called for civil liberties, poverty alleviation, and better working conditions.

• Nicholas II was not at the Winter Palace.

• Tsarist troops attacked the marchers, resulting in many deaths and injuries.

• 'Bloody Sunday' shattered the traditional belief that the Tsar and the people were linked in a common bond.

Aftermath of Bloody Sunday

• Gapon denounced the Tsar and went into hiding; he was later found dead.

• Other leaders were arrested and sent into internal exile.

• Grand Duke Sergei was killed by a socialist revolutionary.

• Peasant revolts intensified, and a national Peasants' Union was formed.

• Nearly half a million workers were on strike in the cities.

• Unions for all classes blossomed.

• The Union of Unions was formed.

• A congress demanded civil liberties and a legislative assembly.

• Defeats in the war with Japan worsened the situation.

• Sailors aboard the battleship Potemkin mutinied.

The October Manifesto

• Nicholas promised a Duma, but it would have limited authority.

• Strikes and protest meetings intensified.

• The first St Petersburg soviet was formed.

• Nicholas issued the October Manifesto, promising political reform.

• The soviets condemned the Manifesto as it did little to address the everyday needs of the working people.

• The St Petersburg soviet called a general strike but abandoned it due to lack of support.

• The secret police remained powerful, the army loyal, and the bureaucracy intact.

• Tsarism survived the 1905 experience.

Political Developments Following the 1905 Revolution

• Nicholas disliked the October Manifesto and returned to autocratic methods.

• Troops suppressed rebellious peasants.

• The St Petersburg soviet was closed, and members were arrested.

• A general strike in Moscow led to street fighting and many deaths.

• Nicholas issued Fundamental Laws, asserting his power over the Duma.

• Elections for the first and second Dumas produced parliaments critical of the government, and both were dissolved.

• Nicholas altered the electoral law to ensure a submissive Duma.

• Prime Minister Peter Stolypin repressed revolutionary elements while offering limited land concessions to the peasants.

Fall of the Romanov Dynasty

• War was declared between Germany and Russia in August 1914.

• Political differences were put aside as Russians joined to fight the common enemy.

• Even urban discontent vanished.

• Russia's campaign on the south-west front initially saw successes, but the Germans inflicted heavy defeats.

• The optimistic mood changed to disillusionment.

• Russia was inadequately prepared for a modern war, with shortages of ammunition, outdated maps, and poor equipment.

• By the end of the 1915 summer campaign, Russia had suffered 3.5 million casualties.

• Normal trade routes were cut off, and exports fell.

• Budget expenditure rose, leading to inflation.

• The price of flour doubled, and the price of meat tripled between 1914 and 1916.

• Rural areas were hit hard, with the loss of men and horses to the war effort.

• The army took most of the supplies, and peasants were reluctant to sell grain for devalued money.

• Manufacturing focused on the war effort, reducing the production of agricultural implements.

• Food was hard to come by in the cities due to the overloaded rail network.

• Strike activity increased.

• Thoughts turned towards ending the war.

Rasputin, the 'Mad Monk'

• Gregory Rasputin claimed to have had a deep religious experience and was brought to the attention of Nicholas and Alexandra in November 1905.

• Rasputin's physical appearance contrasted with others at the Russian court.

• He was neither mad nor a monk, but had a wife and three children.

• Alexandra believed that Rasputin could help her son Alexis, who suffered from haemophilia.

• Rasputin's influence at the court grew, along with stories about his womanising and drunken exploits.

• Criticism of Rasputin's influence and corruption grew, leading to his murder in December 1916.

Declining Legitimacy of Nicholas' Rule

• In August 1915, Nicholas appointed himself commander-in-chief of the army, leading to direct blame for military failures.

• Nicholas spent much of his time at military headquarters, isolating himself from Petrograd.

• Alexandra and Rasputin meddled in political and military matters.

• Friends and admirers were appointed to positions of power, regardless of ability.

• Able ministers were dismissed.

• Nicholas' inability to overrule the influence of Rasputin and Alexandra led to calls for change.

The Russian Revolution

• Riots and demonstrations broke out over the shortage of bread in Petrograd in February 1917.

• Striking workers from the factories swelled the numbers of protestors.

• The president of the Duma advised Nicholas II to form a new government.

• On February 25, crowds demonstrated, demanding bread and calling for the overthrow of the Tsar and the ending of the war.

• Mounted Cossack troops refused to fire on the people.

• Soldiers refused to fire against the crowds, leading to a mutiny of the Petrograd garrison.

• Nicholas ordered the suspension of the Duma, but its members continued to meet.

• Revolutionaries occupied ministry buildings and government offices.

• The Duma members formed a provisional committee.

• A rival source of authority arose in the form of the workers' soviet, establishing a Provisional Government.

Abdication and Transfer of Power

• Nicholas began the rail journey home, but the rail lines were in the hands of the revolutionaries.

• His generals deserted him, and he received messages urging him to abdicate.

• Nicholas abdicated in favour of his son, Alexis, but then decided to include Alexis in the abdication document.

• The throne passed to Nicholas' brother, Michael, but he too abdicated.

• Russia became a republic, and the Romanov dynasty ended.

• The Provisional Government was later replaced by Lenin and the Bolsheviks.