Catherine II of Russia

Since the early 1600’s Russia had been ruled by the Romanov family. The final Tsars were increasingly ineffective and when Tsar Nicholas II came into power he did not fix the mistakes of the past Tsars and due to his bad leadership he is solely to blame for bringing his country into ruin which in turn led to his downfall, however, the people of Russia were eager for change because of the mistakes of the past Tsars and Nicholas II could not govern the entire country and keep them from wanting a…

perceived them as being difficult, predominantly due to how he was treated by the boyars, the Russian aristocrats. Consequently, Ivan’s emotional scars instigate his anti-boyar policies and actions in the 1550’s and 1560’s. Ivan became the ruler of Russia at the young age of 3 after his father Grand Prince Vasilii III died. Upon his death, his father “ordered the boyars” and his wife Elena Glinskaia to protect Ivan until he reached manhood (Halperin, 47). Thus, Ivan’s mother became his regent…

In May 1896, the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II only succeeded in highlighting the conceited opulence, indulgence of the Romanov dynasty, and the complete lack of caution regarding the ever-increasing discontent among the Russian peasantry of the late 19th century. The actions or lack thereof of the Tsar and his dignitaries to the tragedy that plagued the coronation itself emphasised the lack of compassion toward their citizens. While it is obvious to see from the collection of diary entries…

RUSSIA IN THE 1900’S From 1896 Tsar Nicholas II has ruled the Russian empire taking over from his late father Alexander 3rd. With social classes still as prominent as ever despite the freeing of peasants in 1861 by Tsar Alexander II (Tsar Nicholas grandfather), the Great Russian empire has a social structure like a pyramid. The Tsar and his government placed at the top and peasants at the bottom. PEASENTS: Life as a peasant as we all know is hard. It requires hours on end of work and hardship…

Why did Alexander II emancipate the serfs? Alexander II, the Tsar of Russia from 1855-1881, formally emancipated, or set free, the serfs in the Emancipation Reform of 1861 despite that it was only applied to privately owned serfs and was a measured three stage process beginning with personal freedom. Ultimately, Alexander II emancipated the serfs as it held back Russia’s economy from progressing and improving. However, the combination of various military, social and political factors also…

little or no compensation. The landowner would give them a small piece of land which they could farm to provide for their own needs. There were several peasant rebellions that led to numerous revolutions. In 1861, a law was issued by Tsar Alexander II finally eliminating serfdom; however, it did not improve the quality of life for the serf community. Between the 13-15th centuries, the number of serf’s dependents grow significantly in number. They were not considered slaves, but they had very…

Tsar Nicholas II – Leadership and Reign Lions, otherwise known as “King of the Jungle,” walk majestically across their territory observing the animals of their kingdom. Their strength and power make them believe that they are the obvious ruler of those beneath them. Just like lions, Tsar Nicholas II felt that he was the only one capable of ruling his land. He thought that God chose him to be the ruler of Russia, and that all his decisions were correct because God put him there to rule. Tsar…

saw extensive changes within the political, economic and social structure of Russia. It saw the abdication of the Tsar and the end of over 300 years of Romanov rule. The revolution also saw the formation of the Provisional Government which was made to look after people, until the representatives were elected. The Success of the March 1917 Revolution to a great extent caused by the inept leadership of Tsar Nicholas II. This ineptitude was highlighted through many different factors such as the…

Alexander II decided on a policy of reform for many reasons; from the impact of the Crimean war, the fear of revolutionary activity from below the Tsar, the state of Russia’s economic backwardness as well as the struggle of Slavophile vs Western ideas. One reason Alexander II would have decided on a policy of reform in Russia would be the impact of the Crimean war. The war and namely the humiliating defeat upon Russia will have been a real turning point for those living in Russia. It brought to…

This is the last entry from the diary of Tsarina Alexandra, the wife of Nicholas II, written just before she was executed by the Bolsheviks along with the rest of the royal family. The royal family was not always regarded with such disdain, and in fact, many Russian citizens once saw the Tsar, Nicholas II, as a paternal figure, appointed by God himself to lead the nation. The Tsar himself however, was indifferent to politics. In a private conversation with a friend he even said, “I am not…