The decline and fall of the

Romanov Dynasty
research week

Year 12 Modern History

2021
What you need to do:

- Make your own copy of this powerpoint (do not override this one.
- Answer all the dot points/ questions on each slide.
- Add your own relevant images if you like/ have time
- Share your slides with me at the end of each lesson so I can view your
progress.
- All slides must be answered in your own words.
· Explain the reasons for Russian
involvement in the First World War.

- In August 1914, Russia entered World War

I because it was drawn into the conflict by
the alliance system and its promises of
support to its Balkan ally, Serbia.
- the world war was to have a catastrophic
impact on Russia putting an immense strain
over Russia’s underdeveloped facilities and
contributed directly to the failure of the
tsarist regime.
· Examine the social and economic impact the war had on Russia.

Due to the war Russia has had serious economic costs – loss of
buildings, infrastructure, a decline within the operating population,
uncertainty, rise in debt and disruption to normal economic activity. By
mid-1916, two years of war had eliminated the Russian economy. until
now there has been no satisfactory modern treatment of the social and
economic aspect of Russia’s First World War. The First World War also
exacerbated social tensions across Europe. Gatrell suggests that
antagonism grew between social groups as ordinary people grew more
and more resentful of the privations that they were enduring, while
traditional elites prospered. social issues that made it impossible for
the Tsarist regime to survive.
· Assess the poor political decisions the Tsar made during the First
World War.

- Nicholas declared himself Commander in Chief of the

army and departed for the Eastern Front to take control of
operations. However, Nicholas was not well educated in
the tactics of war. Moreover, his absence left a weakened
government in Petrograd.
- Tsar Nicholas II did not successfully govern. He made bad
decisions that led to deteriorating relations with the
government and intensified suffering for civilians and
soldiers alike. Nicholas declined to consider any reduction
in the absolute authority he possessed. He was
disconnected from the suffering of the Russian people and
his policies even alienated cultural minorities.
 Who were the main heads involved in WWI?

Nicholas || Sir Robert Borden Albert I George V

The Borden led Canada King Albert I led the King George V of the United
throughout the war and Belgian army and Kingdom was the first cousin
last emperor of Russia
remained with his troops of German Emperor William
was killed by the asserted Canada’s
while Germany occupied II and Russian Tsar Nicholas
Bolsheviks after the independence in II, but family ties did little to
most of his country.
October Revolution. international relations. slow the march to war.
· Case study: Rasputin. Create a DOB: 21 January 1869
dossier file on Rasputin outlining FULL NAME: Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin
his behaviour and influence on the
royal court during the war. POB: Pokrovskoye, Russia

DOD: December 30, 1916 (aged 47) St. Petersburg,

Russia

COD: died of three gunshot wounds, one of which was

a close-range shot to his forehead.

INFLUENCE: Rasputin's influence with the royal family

stemmed from the belief by Alexandra and others that he had on
several occasions eased the pain and stopped the bleeding of
tsarevich Alexei, who suffered from hemophilia.
· Examining the issues:
- What was the response to the
outbreak of war?
- Why did the massive Russian
army suffer so many defeats?
- The Russian people did not respond to the
war with real enthusiasm. The government
could not overcome its traditional distrust
of any public initiative, even in the
organization of medical supplies or
munitions for the forces.
- Russia lost so many soldiers in the
beginning because it had too few guns and
used outdated tactics.
· Argue the significance of
Nicholas becoming Commander of
the army and the impact Rasputin
- Nicholas II’s decision to take charge
had on the mounting anti-tsarist meant that he was increasingly seen
crisis. by meant that he was increasingly
seen by the russian people as having
personal responsibility for the military
disasters inflicted on russia.
- After failing to become a monk,
rasputin became wanderer and
eventually entered the court of tsar
nicholas II because of his alleged
healing abilities.
· Analysing motives: List the major
grievances held by Russians, of all
classes, against Tsarina Alexandra.
Do you believe these criticisms
were in any way justified? Why?
- When she was placed in charge after
Nicholas left she let Rasputin control the
business of government in Russia.
- She was reserved and awkward in
public.
- More importantly, she was a German
princess, and some were suspicious as
to where here loyalties lay in the war.
- She fired many government officials and
ministers and replaced them with
untrustworthy people Rasputin told her
to put.
 - Through the February revolution the
Abdication of the Tsar and the
· Examining the issues: culmination of almost 500 years of
autocratic reign in Russia. Provisional
- What were the main outcomes
Government formed and reforms
of the February Revolution? implemented. Though Russia continued
- Why did the February to fight in the First World War.
- The immediate cause of the February
Revolution succeed? Revolution–the first phase of the Russian
Revolution of 1917–was Russia's
disastrous participation in World War I.
Militarily, imperial Russia was no
substitute for industrialized Germany,
and Russian losses were greater than
those suffered by any country in any
previous war.
· Analysing historical
interpretations: To what extent was
Tsar Nicholas responsible for the
collapse of the Romanov dynasty?
- Nicholas II’s actions and incompetence
as a ruler did play a role in the collapse
of the Romanov Dynasty, whether or not
that was only to heighten the inevitability
of it occurring. Despite being a “well-
intentioned man,” (Sklaviadis) Nicholas II
himself was aware of his lack of
ambition and skills to govern the state in
any progressive way. ‘I am not prepared
to be a Tsar,’ he states, ‘I never wanted to
become one. I know nothing of the
business of ruling.’ (Malone, 2009) His
own words foreshadowed the drastically
unfortunate events that were bestowed
upon him.
 - The first problem was the Petrograd
Evaluate why the Provisional
Government failed after less than
eight months in power?
Soviet, which forbade people to obey
the Provisional Government unless
the Soviet agreed. The Provisional
Government did nothing about it. The
second problem was inflation and
hunger. Again, the Provisional
Government failed, because it didn't
end the war.
· Recognising effects: What measures were
promised in the October Manifesto in 1905?
How did the Tsarist regime attempt to reassert
its authority between 1905 and 1914? To what
extent had Nicholas II appeased his political
opponents at the time of the outbreak of World
War I?
- The election of a duma, more freedom of
speech, censorship would be loosened.
- The 1905 revolution came close to
toppling Tsar Nicholas II and his
autocratic regime; widespread strikes
and uprisings catalysed by the events of
Bloody Sunday, caused chaos.
However, by 1914 autocracy was still
ruling and appeared popular, given the
extensive support the Tsar had for going
to war in 1914.

· Identifying problems and
analysing motives: Evaluate the
usefulness and reliability of the
source in understanding the
execution of the Romanov family.
The brutal assassination of Tsar Nicholas II,
his wife and five children at Yekaterinberg in
July 1918 was followed by apparently
incompetent attempts to conceal the remains.
Despite this, the skeletons remained
undiscovered until 1979. And after
anthropological and DNA studies, the loss of
two of the children in the grave raised
concerns as to the identity of the bones.
The discovery of the skeletal fragments of a
young woman aged between 18 to 25 years
and a boy aged between 10 to 14 years in a
shallow grave near the primary burial site in
2007 enabled full DNA analyses of the
remains to be performed in association with
assessments of living Romanov descendants.
· Examining the issues:
- Why did the Bolsheviks decide
to execute the Romanov family?
If you believe Yurovsky, what
reasons might the Tsar have had for
protecting his son in particular?
- According to the official state version of
the USSR, former Tsar Nicholas
Romanov, along with members of his
family and retinue, was executed by
firing squad, by order of the Ural
Regional Soviet, due to the threat of the
city being occupied by Whites
- Nicholas II, son of Tsar Alexander Ill,
was heir to the Russian throne tsar had
to protect him at all costs.
 - Many equate this with the revolt in
February that ousted the Tsar, allegedly
unexpectedly.
- They compare this with the uprising in
Consider whether the February February that ousted the Tsar,
supposedly suddenly.
Revolution was spontaneous or
- They argue that the October revolution
organised of 1917, when workers took power, was
a “coup” because the Bolshevik faction
led it.
- Workers and soldiers weren’t just a
formless mass. In each office or
garrison they were influenced by
interactions, group debates and
officials.
· Leon Trotsky wrote the ‘war is a
great locomotive of history’.
Examine evidence that can be draw
- As Leon Trotsky proclaimed that “war is
from Russia in the years 1901-1917
the locomotive of history” he is
to prove that is true. supposed to have been referring to how
the Great War had hastened the
Bolshevik revolution. Historians, fond of
the Major Idea, then took the quote and
converted it into general philosophy,
making war the great engine of creation.
· Essay Questions:
- ‘The tragedy of the Russian
Revolution was that Nicholas II
could have prevented it’. To what
extent do you agree with this
statement?
- In my view I don’t believe Tsar Nicholas
will deter the Russian revolution as he
was a bad emperor and hardly thought
of the industry in Russia.
- The people has been suffering so hard
for so long that I think a powerful leader
wouldn't even be enough to control
them.
 - Factors including economic and political, held
· Essay Questions:
- To what extent was the
leadership of Tsar Nicholas II the
most significant factor contributing
to the fall of the Romanov
dynasty?
- Despite being a “well-intentioned man,”
much more weight in ending the tsarist regime
than a single man could—regardless of how
powerful he was—especially as those elements
were the consequences of a flawed society that
had been developed long before Nicholas II had
any effect at all. Nonetheless, it is widely
agreed by scholars that Nicholas II’s actions
and incompetence as a monarch did play a role
in the collapse of the Romanov Empire, whether
or not it was only to heighten the inevitability of
it occurring.
(Sklaviadis) Nicholas II himself was aware of his
lack of ambition and skills to rule the state in
any progressive way. ‘I am not qualified to be a
Tsar,’ he says, ‘I never wanted to become one. I
know little about the business of ruling.’
(Malone, 2009) His own words foreshadowed
the dramatically tragic circumstances that were
bestowed upon him.