The+End

THE FATE OF THE ROMANOVS

//**“ **If it was your relations who have wrought my death, then no one of your family, none of your children or relations, will remain alive for more than two years. They will be killed by the Russian people.**”** // //-Final letter by Rasputin to Nicolas II, December 1916 //

// **A Turning Point ** // One of the first significant changes in the Russian Empire came in 1905. The **1905 Revolution** is the result of a peaceful protest which led to Bloody Sunday. The following October Nicolas had no choice but to create the **October Manifesto**. The October Manifesto granted the people a few freedoms as well as including the creation of the Duma and the Soviets (a type of workers’ council). Although the people were content for a while, it was soon made clear that Nicolas would continue to rule with veto and was paying little attention to the Duma or the Soviets. Although revolutionaries were unsatisfied as it seemed that nothing had changed, the October Manifesto was still a starting point and indicated that progress was being made.



//**The End **// The Great War was disastrous for the dynasty, after its outbreak they had no real chance of surviving. The war was economically costly and destructive as it killed thousands of Russians. As well, it was clear that they would lose considering they were industrially behind the other nations and did not have enough resources. Nicolas II becoming the commander of the army only worsened the situation. Soldiers were fed up with the situation and the anti-war sentiment grew among them and the rest of Russian citizens (see more info in WWI). Eventually, in February 1917 at Petrograd revolts broke out with many guards and soldiers mutinying (known as the **1917 Revolution**). Riots and chaos racked the streets of Russia. It was an unorganized event that quickly grew in size as the majority of Russians had been eagerly anticipating this day. Everyone joined in and at this point it was clear Russia’s monarchy would not last through World War I. At this time Nicolas II was stuck on a train coming back from the German front as revolutionaries had blocked the path. He received letter after letter from his commanding officers telling him to abdicate and eventually he had to accept this was the only course of action which he could take. On **March 2** **nd** Nicolas //abdicated// his throne and offered it to his brother Michael, who wisely refused. The Duma quickly agreed to set up a provisional government. For the next nine months the provisional government ruled, promising workers’ rights but refusing to end the war. The Romanovs were put under house arrest at this time.

The following video gives a great summary of the events leading up to Nicolas II's abdication:

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//**Death **// They were kept under house arrest just outside of St. Petersburg until the civil war broke out. At that point, they were moved to the town of Tolbolsk in Siberia. It was the beginning of the end when the Romanovs were moved from the Tobolsk to Ekaterinburg located in the Urals (a mountain range in western Russia) on April 22nd, 1918. They were hidden from public view and confined in a large house. The following months (known as ‘**The Seventy-Eight Days’**) are a bit of a mystery. Some claimed the family was constantly beaten and humiliated by the guards while other historians feel there is no sufficient evidence which would prove this to be true.

Lenin knew that many Russians were still loyal to Nicolas II and the Romanov Dynasty. Some still hoped he would regain the throne. These supporters were referred to as the “**Whites**” (led by Mannerheim); they were monarchists fighting in the ﻿**civil war**. Lenin’s army was known as the “Reds”. For Lenin, there was really no other option other than to kill Nicolas II. If Nicolas had ever escaped he would be an opposing force to Lenin and would have a number of supporters backing him.



In the summer of 1918 the Whites advanced towards Ekaterinburg, resulting in the decision to soon kill Nicolas II and his entire family. On **July 17th**, guards told the family that there was some conflict in Ekaterinburg and it was necessary for them to move downstairs if they were to be safe. Soon, Red soldiers appeared and shot the whole family, children included. It was not long before mystery began to surround the murders. The Whites began to talk about how cruel the Reds had been to the Romanov Dynasty. They attempted to use it against them as no one could confirm what exactly happened on that night.



The most controversial mystery concerns Nicolas and Alexandra’s fourth daughter **Anastasia**. Her body, along with that of her younger brother, was missing from the mass grave that held the bodies of her family. Some thought she had somehow escaped or been rescued by a soldier and was still alive. Over the years many women have attempted to claim that they are Anastasia, the most well-known was Anna Anderson. Anna bore a striking resemblance to Anastasia and appeared to be the correct age; however, after Anderson’s death in 1984 DNA proved that she was not in fact a Romanov. No one will ever know for certain if Anastasia survived, nevertheless compelling arguments can be made for both sides. In 1997, Disney made a film “Anastasia” telling the story of what might have happened if Anastasia had survived. However, the movie contains little historical value.



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<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Nicholas II and his family were not the first Romanovs to fall victim to the plot of an **assassin**. Peter III had been strangled by men who would place his wife, Catherine the Great, on the throne after his death. Paul I (son of Catherine the Great) was also strangled as well as bludgeoned to death by a group of aristocratic conspirators (this was done with the knowledge of Paul I’s son/successor). Alexander II, Nicholas II’s grandfather, was the victim of a bomb, as was Nicholas II’s uncle (Grand Duke Serge) in 1905.



<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">The Romanovs being killed in the revolution is consistent with other revolutions and overthrows of government throughout history. For example, Charles I was beheaded in 1649 with the approval of Cromwell. As well, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed by guillotine after the French Revolution in 1793. Additionally, Emperor Maximilian was shot in 1867 when Benito Juarez took control of the Mexican Empire. It is a common theme throughout history that revolutions result in the violent killing of the leader. The example of the Romanov execution is a particularly horrific one as the whole family was wiped out. However, it has caused many to romanticize their story, focusing on the passionate love between Nicolas and Alexandra, the illness of their son, and finally their tragic death. There have been a number of books, movies, and even songs depicting their tragic story (movie examples: “Nicholas and Alexandra”, “The Lost Prince”, “The Assassin of the Tsar”, and “Romanov”). The way in which they were killed has many people today seeing the Romanovs as the victims; however, their years of oppressing millions of Russians could suggest the opposite.