The Tsar and political authority (1) Flashcards
Who was the autocratic emperor of Russia 1917?
Tsar Nicholas II
Who was Tsar Nicholas II a member of?
The Romanov dynasty
Since when had the Romanov’s ruled Russia?
1613
When did the Tsar inherit the throne?
In 1894 at the age of 26
What happened when the Tsar was 12?
His reformist grandfather, Tsar Alexander II, had been blown up by a revolutionary bomb
What was the Tsar determined to do?
To fulfil his divine calling and uphold autocracy
What was the Tsars reign in terms of dates?
1868-1918
What was a main cause of the Tsar’s downfall?
This was the defeat in the war against Japan in 1904-1905 which brought about strikes.
What happened as a result of the loss to Japan in 1905?
It led to a revolution which spiralled out of the Tsar’s control after the Tsarist army shot a crowd of demanding reformers in St Petersberg on “bloody Sunday” in January 1905.
What was Nicholas forced to do?
Establish a State Duma
Was the Duma effective?
No, because he restricted its powers
What did the Tsar use instead of the Duma?
He used the Okhrana to crush opposition.
What was the Okhrana?
The Russian Empire’s secret police force
What happened when Nicholas II tried to handle the first world war?
Lead to popular demonstrations in Febuary 1917, which forced the Tsar to abdicate.
How did the Tsar die?
He was executed by Bolsheviks in January 1918
Why was the Tsar not a very good leader?
he was very shy and awkward in public; he found political affairs boring and tended to be over-cautious, struggling to make clear political decisions.
Who was the Tsra’s wife?
Alexandra, a German princes whom he had married two weeks after his farther’s death in 1894.
Who did the Tsar’s wife introduce the Tsar to?
The “holy man” and faith-healer, Grigorii Rasputin.
How was Rasputin a benefit to the Tsar and his family?
Because he was able to ease the pain of their only son, Aleksei, who suffered from haemophilia, an inherited disease that prevented his blood from clotting.
What had Rasputin started to do after easing his sons pain?
Rasputin’s influence over the Tsar had extended to interfering in government appointments, particularly after the war broke out in 1914.
What was Rasputin known for?
Womanising and drunkenness
Did Rasputin do any favours for the Tsar, popularity wise?
He damaged Nicholas’s reputation with the very people the Tsar relied on to prop up the autocracy: politicians inside and outside the court, civil servants, Orthodox bishops and army officers.
