3. Autocracy and revolt in Russia, 1881-1914

Problems facing nicholas ii, 1894-1905 WEAKNESSES OF NICHOLAS II AS TSAR WITTE & INDUSTRIAL GROWTH PROBLEMS FACING NICHOLAS II INCLUDING DISCONTENT OF THE PEASANTS, TOWN WORKERS & ETHNIC MINORITIES

In November 1894 Alexander III died after being ill with kidney failure for some time He was succeeded by his son Nicholas II

The reign of Alexander III did a great deal to extend the power of the tsar at the expense of liberties taken for granted in Western Europe. However, it needed a like-minded man keen to involve himself in the hard work of government to succeed Alexander III if the reforms were to have a lasting impact. Nicholas II was not this type of man. Whereas Alexander III was diligent, mentally strong and was willing to work for what he wanted, Nicholas was weak, lazy and willing for others to do the work for him.

WEAKNESSES OF NICHOLAS II AS TSAR When he succeeded his father in 1894, he had very little experience of government. In the same year, Nicholas married Princess Alexandra of Hesse- Darmstadt (a duchy in Germany). They had four daughters and a son, Alexis, who suffered from the disease haemophilia. Alexandra was the dominant personality in their relationship and encouraged the weaker Nicholas's autocratic tendencies. He mistrusted most of his ministers and yet was incapable of carrying out the task of ruling the vast Russian empire alone.

In pairs… Read through the sources and decide if you believe Nicholas II was fit to rule Russia “Nicholas II was a highly sensitive man who preferred to be with his family than involve himself in the day-today running of his nation. A weak man, he was frequently bullied into doing things by his overbearing wife, Alexandra.” -From a modern history textbook.

As a ruler, Nicholas had many failings As a ruler, Nicholas had many failings. However, the most important was his inability to dominate events and take charge. As an example, his coronation speech was merely a repeat of what his father, Alexander III had said. The domination of his father was also shown in the fact that he kept most of his father’s ministers rather than appoint his own. With Nicholas, they had a tsar who wanted to continue his father’s policies but had neither the driving force nor the abilities of his father. Senior ministers such as Witte started to carry out their own policies as opposed to what Nicholas might have wanted. He, in turn, was more concerned with family issues and was seemingly bewildered by major affairs of state. -History Learning Site

“The emperor unfortunately is weak, but I am not and I intend to be firm.” -Alexandra, writing in 1905. Nicholas was a sensitive family man. When his children cried, he cried. When his wife was sad, he was sad. These are not necessarily the traits of leader. -A German diplomat’s letter to his wife in 1904 When Nicholas was crowned in 1894, a huge crowd gathered for the ceremony. As was tradition, gifts were handed out to the crowd. The crowd was so large that the police had to force their way through the crowd to make a path for Alexander and the royal carriages. As they did so the crowd was crushed and 1,300 ordinary Russians were crushed to death. Nicholas and Alexandra witnessed this and rode on without so much as a second glance. When asked if they should postpone the coronation ball as a mark of respect for those who had died, Nicholas shook his head “Of course the ball will go ahead, there is much to celebrate for us” was his reply. -From a modern history textbook

Weaknesses of Nicholas II 1. Russia was already difficult to rule and needed a strong leader to control the large population, 2. 3.

Witte’s policies of trying to push Russia forward to be more like the industrialized nations of Europe were working. However, with this push came thousands of peasants leaving the countryside and coming to work in factories in the cities. As they worked in factories in terrible conditions for little pay, they became angry and small-scale riots and protests broke out in St. Petersburg. They looked to their Tsar to solve their problems.

Discontent in 1900s PEASANTS TOWN WORKERS ETHNIC MINORITIES Middle classes