Analyse the key aspects Tsar Nicholas II played until the collapse of the Romanovs

Essay by superrandomrandomHigh School, 11th grade March 2005

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Tsar Nicholas II was appointed to the throne in 1894. Many among the huge crowds that lined the streets for the celebration of his coronation saw him as their "little father." He believed that God had appointed Nicholas to rule an empire covering about one-sixth of the earth's land area.

Although well intentioned, Nicholas was a weak ruler and out of touch with his people. He was easily dominated by others (His wife and Ministers) and a firm believer in the autocratic principles, as was his father before him.

Failing to listen to his subjects was an example of his weakness as a ruler. When at times he did, and made promises that were clearly announced, he didn't follow on through with it. With, for example, the Duma (which was announced with the October Manifesto which Sergi Witte gave to the Tsar) it took months/years before it was put into place and even then he still had 100% control over it.

There was barely any point in having it there and even then it didn't last that long as the Tsar just shut it down. He believed it was a waste of time due to the type of people that were elected. The peasants, the townsmen and the gentry all elected their own representatives to participate. At their first meeting, members of the Duma put forward a series of demands including the release of political prisoners, trade union rights and land reform. Straight away Nicholas II rejected these proposals and dissolved the Duma in July 1906.

Elections for the Second Duma took place in 1907 which the Chief Minister at the time, Peter Stolypin, used his powers to exclude large numbers from voting. This reduced the influence of the left but again the Second Duma was shutdown by tsar Nicholas...