Rasputin Hemophilia

1914 was a devastating year for many countries of the world, as world war one began to take full effect. But as world war one shook the world; it began to question Nicholas II’s ability to rule Russia. In this essay i will discuss the extent of world war one’s responsibility in Nicholas II’s downfall, and the extent of other contributing factors. I will argue that Nicholas II’s own traits as a leader were the main reason for his downfall.

Tsar Nicholas II was a poor leader. It seems that he does not want to be the Tsar (71). When the Tsar received the telegram of the destruction of the Russian fleet a Tsushima, he simply placed into his pocket. He shows no interest in being a leader. A normal would have quickly reacted to that situation but the Tsar did not. During his reign (Nicholas II), Russia was in disaster (72). Forcing someone to do something, that person does not want to do will lead to disaster. He such a "leader" that Kaiser Wilhelm II patronizes him of "only fit to live in a country house and grow turnips." (9). The man has no strength, his is everything but strength. There are many holes in the government of Russia and in his leadership. The holes could have been filled up if he had picked up the slack and pushed himself to be leader. The resulting consequences of his poor leadership could have also been

The rate of deaths of officers in the army meant that men from the ranks were being promoted, but these men felt loyal to their soldiers rather than the Tsar. The army was also a place were Russian soldiers were becoming radicalized as many different Russians of different classes were fighting in this war, meaning support of the Tsar was declining. The Russians were immensely unorganized during the war as serious food shortages came into effect as factories were only reducing weapons now, wounded men were left at railway stations in Petrograd without help, and councils took on the role of providing troops with supplies and medicine which dampened their confidence in the Tsar. This doubt was furthered when the Tsar took personal leadership of the war subsequently making him responsible for all the failings during the war in the eyes of the Russians. The Tsar’s image was also hindered because of his wife, the Tsarina Alexandra, who was German and thought to be a spy, she was close friends with Rasputin, the mad monk, who was said to have an influence over her, but he was accused of drunkenness and sleeping with women on the board, so was not seen as good

The Grand Duchess Olga wrote in her journal: “…and he was wholly ignorant about governmental matters. Nicky had been trained as a soldier”. (Fiehn, T. 1996). Nicholas’ sister suggests that he was not ready due to his lack of training. Margot Tracey, daughter of a Russian industrialist declared in 1917, after Nicholas’ abdication “Everybody was fed up with the Tsar because they thought he was weak. When he abdicated there was great rejoicing everywhere. My parents opened champagne bottles and celebrated with friends.”.(White 1994 p.14) Margot shows her understanding of what was going on at the time and that Nicholas was very weak leader, although still a tyrant. Margot’s statement supports the hypothesis as it plainly says that the people did not like Nicholas as a leader due to how weak he was. Margot’s statement is further corroborated by Sergei Witte, a Russian Minister during Nicholas II rule “I pity the Tsar. I pity Russia. He is a poor and unhappy sovereign. What did he inherit and what will he leave? He is obviously a good and quite intelligent man, but he lacks will power, and it from that character that his state defects developed, that is, his defects as a ruler, especially an autocratic and absolute ruler.” (Russian Revolution Quotations 2015). These sources work together to support the fact that Nicholas II was responsible for his own downfall due to his weak character and that he was not properly prepared for the role. This caused

Tsarina Alexandra Romanov is accused of having a serious helping hand in the ultimate demise of Russia and eventual revolution that occurred. While many of the Tsarina’s actions did contribute to the eventual failures in Russia, Tsarina Alexandra was dealing with much more than just the political nature of Russia during the time of World War I. The Tsarina found herself struggling with finding a balance between the Russian distrust due to her lineage, her struggle to produce an heir, and finding her place with Tsar Nicholas II away at the front. In a time when the Romanov family was the center of distrust, the German princess found herself conflicted between her strong religious beliefs, Russian patriotism, and her desire to protect Russian aristocracy in order to provide her son a future as Tsar. With all these conflicting allegiances in her life, Tsarina Alexandra found herself trying to establish her role as a leader of the Russian people, a mother, and a wife while also trying to balance her duty as a Tsarina in the scope of family and war.

As World War I was heading towards its end Russia was focusing on internal issues. Led by Vladimir Lenin the Bolsheviks embarked on a campaign against the war. Using propaganda which focused on trying to turn the allied troops against their officers Lenin looked to inspire a socialist revolution. The Bolsheviks were also fueled by the poor conditions of the Russian Army. Nicholas II, in a letter to his wife Alexandra, admitted the obstacles that the Russian Army faced, "Again that cursed question of shortage of artillery and rifle ammunition - it stands in the way of an energetic advance." Czar Nicholas tried to deny the fact that his Army was in no condition to continue the fight. Lenin and the Bolsheviks used this information to gain

Among the greatest mysteries of Russian history is the influence of the Mad Monk Grigori Rasputin. During his time in court 1907-1916, Rasputin developed a complex relationship with the ruling Romanovs and leading ministers due to his mystical ability to treat the hemophilia of the sole heir to the throne, Tsarevich Alexei.

Rasputin was called upon to help the boy ease his suffering. Strangely, it seemed that Rasputin did have some healing effect on the sick boy. When he was suffering from an attack Rasputin was the only one who could make the boy better. This made him a saint in the eyes of the Empress.

Alexandra had also reassured Nicholas to turn to Rasputin, a Serbian mystic to heal his son, Alexei who had inherited Haemophilia B. his success in healing their son saw Rasputin gain increasing influence over the Empress and therefor the Tsar.

When World War One came around Nicholas took control of the army. Because of this he spent a lot of time away from his family and duties in St. Petersburg. While Nicholas was gone, Alexandra fell under the spell of Rasputin, she depended on

He implied he was closer to the tsar and tsarina than he actually was and utilized this to win favors for companions and acquire a costly way of life for himself. Alexandra who was 22 when she wedded Nicholas II was a capable and stern ladies who, even before her wedding, had begun annoying Nicholas at his fathers deathbed. She likewise attempted to restrict the family in an everlasting tea party at the tsar's imperial retreat. She believed nobody and thought the most noticeably awful of everybody who attempted to prompt her spouse . For the greater part of their marriage her political investment was negligible, yet close to the end of their rule she was in control Russia as Nicholas had gone to the war front to aid his officers. She was sacking priests and consultants for Rasputin's benefit. With Nicholas far from St Petersburg gossipy tidbits about outrages inside the regal family were going through general society stadium. Regardless of Rasputins murder in 1916 the picture of the tsar and tsarist manage as awkward and overwhelmed by religious otherworldliness was immovably embedded in the

In 1984 he married for love and not political convenience, Empress Alexandra . The marriage produced four daughters and one son. Nicholas was first and foremost a family man before a man for his people, which would cause unrest towards the middle of his career and eventually cause the end of it. Further political problems would arise when he would leave for the First World War, leaving the dominant Empress Alexandra in control. Nicholas had a generally unhappy childhood. Although his mother coddled him, his father was strict and abusive, often tormenting Nicholas about his eagerness to learn (he could speak English, French, Russian and German) and Nicholas’s sensitivities to the world around him, always coming in last in comparison to his brother . His father pushed him away and ultimately did not prepare him for his responsibilities as a ruler. He was a socialite in his younger years, uninterested in the state and his impending future, looking for the happiness he missed from his childhood. His unhappy childhood, constant bullying from his father and unwillingness to learn the affairs of state left him unprepared to rule at the time of his father’s death in 1984 . Despite this hesitancy to accept the crown, Nicholas decided to maintain the political policies that his father had in place, despite the increasingly changing times and demands of his

Czar Nicholas and his wife Alexandria were in control of a society in upheaval. Industrialization and modernization were drastically changing the fabric of Russian society. Alexandria wished to have Rasputin serve them as a spiritual assistant (Saul). The Romanov’s also believed that Rasputin would function as a connection to the common folk. Rasputin cemented his position when he was able save the Romanov’s son’s life.

Alexie was the youngest of the five children and only son of Nicholas II and Alexandra. Like his mother, he was born with hemophilia. Unfortunately, his mother's reliance on Grigori Rasputin, a holy man who had no medical training to treat the disease, helped bring about the end of the Romanov dynasty and start the February Revolution. This relationship with Rasputin and the Tsarina as well as the four Grand Duchesses was frowned upon by extended family members wildly and eventually to the Russian people. There were rumors that Rasputin had unsavory relations with all four of the duchesses and this caused a great rift between the Royal family and the people as a whole. Rasputin was murdered by the nobility in Russia on December 17, 1916. The fact that the Anastasia as well as some of her sisters attended his funeral and showed a decline in their behavior after his death fueled the rumors even more.

It was on the 22nd of August 1915 that the Tsar Nicholas the 2nd took control as head of the army and dismissed his uncle The Grand Duke Nicholai as the previous head. This meant hat the Tsar would be away from St Petersburg, which left the Tsarina and Rasputin in charge. This was mistakes for the Tsar as it made people see Russia’s army as weak and left numerous accusations of Rasputin and the Tsarina having a relationship.