Rasputin : The Mad Monk Of Russia

Rasputin Gregory Yefimovich was a peasant as well as a self-proclaimed holy man. He was born in 1872 in the

Nicholas II was known, not only for being the Emperor of Russia but also for his character and personality which undoubtably led him to his own downfall. Nicholas was often referred to as not being ready to become Tsar as well as being a weak leader. Firstly, Nicholas II himself, amongst a very large proportion of Russian society, believed that he was not prepared to be coronated Emperor. Nicholas himself stated “What is going to happen to me and all of Russia? I am not prepared to be a Tsar. I never wanted to become one. I know nothing of the business of ruling.”. (Russian Revolution Quotations 2015). Nicholas was aware of what he was getting himself into and that he was not prepared for such a role. This is further corroborated by the

How does a leader gain and maintain the love of his people when he is killing them in mass numbers? Joseph Stalin was successful in this by following the political tactic of using fear to gain love. A tactic that was highly valued by Nicolo Machiavelli in his work The Prince. “In Arthur Koestler’s Darkness at Noon, the main character, and Old Bolshevik, Nikolaiz Rubashov, declares that “Number one” (Stalin) kept Machiavelli’s The Prince as his favorite night-table book” (Tisemanean). Stalin’s strategy of leadership can be closely compared to the strategies that Machiavelli describes in The Prince. A work that received much controversy over the lessons it preached to political leaders. It coined the phrase “the end justify the means” which follows as a consequence of considering vice a virtue. Stalin used many vices to gain and maintain his state till the day he died. Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn work, The First Circle, showcased how even on death’s door Stalin still used traits treasured in a Machiavellian prince. This paper will assess how Stalin follows Machiavelli’s guidelines for a prince in the areas of war, fear, crime, and in dealing with the people.

On a day to day bases, men and women in prison or jail are dehumanized and terrorized by their superiors or even their inmates in the Criminal Justice System. The inmates that are in this situation are usually physically, emotionally, and mentally abused, they are often deprived of meals and are belittled. The inmates in this situation have no other choice but adapt to their best ability of the harsh situation they are founded in or be broken and taken over by the system they are forced to be a part of. Is it true that a person in difficult situations needs to be indifferent of their past because being nostalgic can only hurt them? Or does the harsh situation they become a custom to make it easier to forget their past life?. Solzhenitsyn uses Shukhov’s indifferent attitude towards his past to illustrate that a person cannot be nostalgic because it can lead to one’s self-destruction.

Ivan IV, also known as “Ivan the Terrible,” lived from 1530 to 1584 and was the first Tsar of Russia. He officially reigned from the age of three; however, he did not have any real power until he crowned himself “Tsar” of Russia in 1547. He went on to conquer vast amounts of neighboring territories, eventually controlling the largest empire in the world at the time. In addition to increasing the Russian Tsardom’s size, he also completely restructured the political system. He took away all power from the noble boyar elite, and became an absolute monarch. This was good because the boyars at the time had been corrupt, and more interested in their personal interests than the interests of the state (Ivan the Terrible).

It is plausible to suggest that Joseph Stalin was essentially a Red Tsar. Whilst Stalin was committed to communism, his ideology and authoritarian reign was reminiscent of the Tsarist autocratic rule that proceeded him. For nearly six centuries Russia was ruled under a Tsarist autocratic government until it was overthrown during the 1917 revolution that led to the introduction of the first communist government in Russia and the leadership of Joseph Stalin. During his reign, Stalin enacted a ‘cult of personality’ in which he was worshipped as a god-like being similar to that of the autocratic Tsars who ruled before him. Likewise, there were immense similarities in the social structures and quality of life for Russia’s people under the reign of the last Tsar, Nicholas II, and Joseph Stalin. There is considerable evidence therefore to support the idea that Joseph Stalin was essentially a Red Tsar.

Rasputin was a witch doctor. When the Russian ruler went to fight in the front

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 a man who lived in sin. He believed that by doing so, one would obtain pardon by the almighty. He would drink, party through the night, and sleep with

During the late seventeenth century Russia underwent drastic transformations in order to westernize their medieval states. The idea of westernization caused chaos within the Imperial Empire; people in power were mentally unstable and would travel outside of palace gates in order to get what they wanted, a determined and curious young boy came into power changing everything, and a young lady not of Russian blood became queen and finalized everything.

Only three months past and Nicholas had Protopopov made the new minister of interior. Once again, Rasputin had his way. “ ‘God bless your new choice of Protopopov,’ Alexandra exclaimed. ‘Our Friend says you have done a very wise act in naming him’.” This quote is obviously tied to the themes of religion, politics AND manipulation. Rasputin manipulates Alexandra into believing what he does, and into telling Nicholas II that by listening to her (thus Rasputin) choice in political figures, the tsar was approved by God, an idea that Nicholas II could draw the conclusion that as long as he listens to his wife(a.k.a. Gregory Rasputin) he will always be right by the Church. It’s ironic that the author uses rather sophisticated language due to that Rasputin, though he appears to be a flamboyant monk with too much love for alcohol, is an intelligent, deceiving

He is just a good, religious, simple-minded Russian. –Tsar Nicholas II (Russian). Grigori Rasputin was that and more. Rasputin was a lot of different things to a lot of people. To the Tsarina Alexandra, Rasputin was a healer and a dear friend. To some of the nobles, he was a threat and should be killed. Despite having different opinions of Rasputin, everyone agreed that he could work miracles. The Czar’s son, Alexei, is proof of one these miracles. Besides preforming healing miracles, he also had influence in the court of the Tsar (Grigory). Rasputin

was brought in due to the Tsar’s son Alexia suffering from haemophilia, and was told he had the powers from God himself to heal him. However, Rasputin was notorious for his reputation as an alcoholic and a womanizer. (Westwood, 2002, p. 215) Even though Alexia was getting better with the aid of Rasputin his own desires were not at bay. Geoffrey Hosking stated “Rasputin influenced court and even government appointments, exploiting his power to make sexual conquests among high society ladies.” This enables us to understand that Rasputin did not have Russia in his best interests.

In St. Petersburg, Rasputin would meet Anna Vyrubova, one of Alexandra?s closest friends. Through Anna, Rasputin was summoned to heal Alexandra?s son Alexis, who was a hemophiliac, in 1905. Rasputin was able to cure Alexis? bleeding with his ?holy powers.? When Alexis fully recovered, Rasputin gained the trust of the Tsar and Tsarina. Because Alexis? hemophilia was so easily agitated, Rasputin was called multiple times to heal Alexis and through hypnosis, was able to heal him every time. Little did the Tsar and Tsarina know that Rasputin would ultimately lead to the downfall of the royal family. The Tsar saw Rasputin as a trustworthy friend to his family and himself. Unfortunately, WWI made its way to Russia in 1914, and Rasputin urged the Tsar not to go to war because he knew that innocent Russian blood would be spilt. Gossip spread throughout Russia like an epidemic, about Rasputin?s amount of power over the country and his debatable relationship with Alexandra. In his drunken state, Rasputin was recorded saying he had the tsar

Even when Raskolnikov was asleep he received painful messages of others who were suffering, just as he was. In one particular instance, before the double-murder, Raskolnikov is brought back to the poverty he suffered throughout his childhood. He once again feels a great empathy toward the suffered, but this time