Years of the reign of Nicholas 2. Nicholas II: biography, politics

Nikolay 2 Alexandrovich (May 6, 1868 - July 17, 1918) - the last Russian emperor, who ruled from 1894 to 1917, the eldest son of Alexander 3 and Maria Feodorovna, was an honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. In the Soviet historiographical tradition he was given the epithet "Bloody". The life of Nicholas 2 and his reign are described in this article.

Briefly about the reign of Nicholas 2

During the reign of Nicholas II there was an active economic development of Russia. In this sovereign, the country lost in the Russian-Japanese war of 1904-1905, which was one of the reasons for the revolutionary events of 1905-07, in particular the adoption of the Manifesto of October 17, 1905, according to which the creation of various political parties was permitted, The State Duma. According to the same manifesto , Stolypin's agrarian reform began to be implemented . In 1907, Russia became a member of the Entente and in its composition participates in the First World War. In August 1915, Nicholas II Romanov became the supreme commander-in-chief. During the February Revolution on March 2, 1917, the sovereign abdicated. He and his whole family were shot. The Russian Orthodox Church canonized them in 2000.

Childhood, young years

When Nikolai Alexandrovich was 8 years old, his home education began. The program included a general education course lasting eight years. And then - the course of higher sciences lasting five years. It was based on the program of the classical gymnasium. But instead of Greek and Latin languages the future king mastered botany, mineralogy, anatomy, zoology and physiology. The courses of Russian literature, history and foreign languages were expanded. In addition, the higher education program provided for the study of law, political economy and military affairs (strategy, jurisprudence, service of the General Staff, geography). Nicholas 2 also practiced fencing, vaulting, music, drawing. Alexander 3 and his wife Maria Feodorovna themselves chose for the future king mentors and teachers. Among them were military and government figures, scientists: N. Kh. Bunge, K. P. Pobedonostsev, N. N. Obruchev, M. I. Dragomirov, N. K. Girs, A. R. Drenteln.

Carier start

From the very childhood, the future Emperor Nicholas II was interested in military affairs: he knew the military regulations and traditions of the officer's environment perfectly, the soldier did not shy away, aware of himself as their mentor-patron, easily tolerated the inconvenience of army life in camp maneuvers and camps.

Immediately after the birth of the future, the Emperor was recorded in several guards regiments and made commander of the 65th Moscow Infantry Regiment. At the age of five, Nicholas 2 (the date of the board - 1894-1917) was appointed commander of the Life Guards Reserve Infantry Regiment, and later, in 1875, the Erivan Regiment. The first military rank (ensign) the future sovereign received in December 1875, and in 1880 he was promoted to lieutenant, and four years later - to lieutenant.

Nicholas 2 entered the real military service in 1884, and from July 1887 he served in the Preobrazhensky regiment and reached the rank of captain-captain. He became a captain in 1891, and a year later - a colonel.

The beginning of government

After a long illness Alexander 1 died, and Nicholas 2 on the same day took over the board in Moscow, at the age of 26, on October 20, 1894.

During his solemn official coronation on May 18, 1896, dramatic events took place on the Khodynka Field. Mass riots happened, thousands of people were killed and injured in a spontaneous stampede.

The Khodynka field was previously not intended for folk festivities, since it was a training ground for the troops, and therefore it was unsuccessful. Right next to the field was a ravine, and it itself was covered with numerous pits. On the occasion of the celebration, the pits and the ravine were covered with boards and covered with sand, and along the perimeter were stalls, buffoons, stalls for distribution of free vodka and food. When people, attracted by rumors about the distribution of money and gifts, rushed to the buildings, the decks covering the pits collapsed, and people fell, not having time to stand on their feet: the crowd was already running along them. The police, wiped out by the wave, could do nothing. Only after the reinforcements arrived, the crowd gradually dissipated, leaving on the square the bodies of mutilated and trampled people.

The first years of reign

In the first years of the reign of Nicholas II, a general census of the country's population and monetary reform were carried out. Russia during the reign of this monarch became an agrarian-industrial state: railroads were built, cities grew, industrial enterprises arose. The Tsar made decisions aimed at social and economic modernization of Russia: the gold circulation of the ruble, several laws on workers' insurance, the Stolypin agrarian reform, the laws on religious tolerance and universal primary education were introduced.

Main events

The years of Nicholas II's rule were marked by a sharp aggravation in Russia's domestic political life, as well as by a difficult foreign policy situation (the events of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the Revolution of 1905-07 in our country, the First World War, and in February 1917 the February Revolution) .

The Russo-Japanese War, which began in 1904, though it did not inflict a great deal of damage on the country, significantly shook the sovereign's authority. After numerous failures and losses in 1905, the Battle of Tsushima ended in a devastating defeat of the Russian fleet.

Revolution of 1905-1907 years.

January 9, 1905, the revolution began, this date is called Bloody Sunday. Government troops shot a demonstration of workers, organized, as is commonly believed, by George Gapon, the priest of the transit prison in St. Petersburg. As a result of the shootings, more than a thousand demonstrators who participated in the peaceful procession to the Winter Palace were killed in order to submit a petition to the state about the needs of the workers.

After this uprising, many other Russian cities were captured. Armed performances were in the navy and in the army. So, on June 14, 1905, the sailors captured the battleship Potemkin, led him to Odessa, where at that time there was a general strike. However, the sailors did not dare to land ashore to support the workers. "Potemkin" went to Romania and surrendered to the authorities. Numerous speeches forced the tsar to sign the Manifesto on October 17, 1905 , which granted citizens civil liberties.

Not being by nature his reformer, the king was forced to implement reforms that did not meet his convictions. He believed that in Russia the time had not yet come for freedom of speech, constitution, universal suffrage. However, Nicholas 2 (photo of which is presented in the article) was forced to sign the Manifesto on October 17, 1905, as an active social movement for political changes began.

Establishment of the State Duma

The Tsarist Manifesto of 1906 established the State Duma. In the history of Russia, for the first time the emperor began to rule with a representative elected body from the population. That is, Russia is gradually becoming a constitutional monarchy. However, despite these changes, the emperor during the reign of Nicholas 2 still had huge powers: he issued decrees in the form of decrees, appointed ministers and the prime minister, accountable only to him, was the head of the court, the army and the patron of the Church, determined the foreign policy The course of our country.

The first revolution of 1905-07 saw a deep crisis that existed at that time in the Russian state.

Personality of Nicholas 2

From the point of view of his contemporaries, his personality, main character traits, virtues and shortcomings were very ambiguous and sometimes provoked conflicting assessments. In the opinion of many of them, Nicholas II characterized such an important trait as weak-willedness. However, there is ample evidence that the Emperor persistently strove to realize his ideas and undertakings, at times reaching stubbornness (only once, when signing the Manifesto on October 17, 1905, he was forced to submit to another's will).

In contrast to his father, Alexander 3, Nicholas 2 (see his photo below) did not create the impression of a strong personality. However, according to the people closely acquainted with him, he had an exceptional self-control, sometimes interpreted as indifference to the fate of people and the country (for example, with the coolness that amazed the emperor's entourage, he met the news of the fall of Port Arthur and the defeat of the Russian army in World War I War).

Engaged in public affairs, Tsar Nicholas 2 showed "extraordinary perseverance", as well as mindfulness and accuracy (for example, he never had a personal secretary, and he typed all the seals on the letters himself). Although in general the management of a huge power was still a "heavy burden" for him. According to contemporaries, Tsar Nicholas 2 had a tenacious memory, observation, in communication was a friendly, modest and sensitive person. Most of all, he cherished his habits, peace, health, and especially the well-being of his own family.

Nicholas 2 and his family

The family was the mainstay of the tsar. Alexandra Feodorovna was for him not just a wife, but also an adviser, a friend. Their wedding took place on November 14, 1894. The interests, perceptions and habits of the spouses often did not coincide, in many respects due to cultural differences, for the Empress was a German princess. However, this did not interfere with family consent. The couple had five children: Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexei.

The drama of the royal family was caused by the illness of Alexei, who suffered from hemophilia (blood coagulability). It was this illness that caused the appearance in the royal house of Grigory Rasputin, famous for the gift of healing and foresight. He often helped Alexei cope with the bouts of the disease.

World War I

1914 was a turning point in the fate of Nicholas 2. It was at this time that the First World War began. The Tsar did not want this war, trying to avoid the bloody slaughter until the very last moment. But on July 19 (August 1), 1914, Germany nevertheless decided to start a war with Russia.

In August 1915, marked by a series of military failures, Nicholas 2, whose history of government was already approaching the finale, assumed the role of commander-in-chief of the Russian army. Before, it was given to Prince Nikolai Nikolaevich (Younger). Since then, the sovereign only occasionally came to the capital, spending most of his time in Mogilev, at the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

The First World War strengthened Russia's internal problems. The main culprit of defeats and a protracted campaign was considered to be the king and his entourage. There was an opinion that the government of Russia "breeds treachery." The military command of the country led by the emperor at the beginning of 1917 created a plan for a general offensive, by which, by the summer of 1917, it was planned to end the confrontation.

Renunciation of Nicholas 2

However, in the end of February of the same year, unrest began in Petrograd, which, thanks to the lack of strong opposition from the authorities, grew in a few days in mass political speeches against the dynasty of the tsar and the government. At first, Nicholas 2 planned to achieve order in the capital with the help of force, but having understood the true scale of the protests, he refused this plan, fearing even more bloodshed that he could cause. Some of the high-ranking officials, politicians and members of his entourage convince him that suppressing unrest requires a change of government, the abdication of Nicholas 2 from the throne.

After painful reflections on March 2, 1917 in Pskov, during a trip to the imperial train, Nicholas 2 decided to sign the act of abdication from the throne, transferring the board to his brother, Prince Mikhail Aleksandrovich. However, he refused to accept the crown. The abdication of Nicholas 2, thus, meant the end of the dynasty.

The last months of life

Nicholas II and his family were arrested on March 9 of the same year. First, for five months they were in Tsarskoe Selo, under guard, and in August 1917 they were sent to Tobolsk. Then, in April 1918, the Bolsheviks transported Nikolai and his family to Ekaterinburg. Here on the night of July 17, 1918, in the center of the city, in the basement of Ipatiev's house, in which the prisoners were imprisoned, Emperor Nicholas 2, his five children, his wife, and several close relatives of the tsar, including the Botkin family doctor and servants, Without any trial and investigation were shot. In total, eleven people were killed.

In 2000, by the decision of the Church, Nicholas II Romanov, as well as his entire family, were canonized, and on the site of Ipatiev's house an Orthodox church was erected.