Nicholas was determined to uphold authority yet lacked assertiveness. He was Obstinate, ineffectual, easily influenced. He had genuine affection for the people but expected them to be blindly obedient. He was as a ‘little man lost in the immensity of his realm’ The Reign of Nicholas up to 1905 He has a bad start to his regime. In 1895 Members of the Tver Zemstvo requested opportunity to express opinions to the government; Nicholas rejected them a...
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Nicholas II of Russia (Nikolai Aleksandrovich Romanov) (18 May[O.S. 6 May]1868 – 17 July[O.S. 4 July]1918) (Russian: Никола́й II, Nikolay II) was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland. He ruled from 1894 until his forced abdication in 1917. Nicholas proved unable to manage a country in political turmoil and command its army in World War I. His rule ended with the Russian Revolution of 1917, after which he and his family were shot by Bolsheviks. Nicholas's full name was Nikolay Aleksandrovich Romanov (Никола́й Алекса́ндрович Рома́нов). His official title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias. He is sometimes referred to as Nicholas the Martyr due to his execution and as Bloody Nicholas because of the tragic events during his coronation and his government's subsequent suppression of dissent. As a result of his canonization, he has been regarded as Saint Nicholas The Passion Bearer by the Russian Orthodox
Nicholas was determined to uphold authority yet lacked assertiveness. He was Obstinate, ineffectual, easily influenced. He had genuine affection for the people but expected them to be blindly obedient. He was as a ‘little man lost in the immensity of his realm’
The Reign of Nicholas up to 1905
He has a bad start to his regime. In 1895 Members of the Tver Zemstvo requested opportunity to express opinions to the government; Nicholas rejected them as ‘senseless dreams’. The Celebrations at his coronation contained free beer stampede, 1300 dead. Nicholas II carried on celebrations by attending a French Ball, visiting hospitals next day. This did great damage as he was seen as uncaring, reinforced on Bloody Sunday (1905)
Reform requests were rejected by Nicholas. University unrest grew, 1899 student protests suppressed and universities were closed. Many students joined the SRs who increased assassinations, e.g. Interior Minister (Plehve). Russification continued. The unrest in the Countryside grew as with land hunger plus SR propaganda. Towns’ unrest e.g. 1896 St. Petersburg strike, Led Zubatov (Moscow Okhrana chief) to set up a union to monitor unrest. However it failed as it became involved in General Strike in Odessa in 1903 and Zubatov was dismissed. Father Gapon was allowed to set up ‘The Assembly of Russian Factory Workers’ to channel unrest however it Backfired and led to Bloody Sunday involvement. By 1900a Cross-section of society was discontented, Reformist / revolutionary ideas were spreading and Peasant uprisings, assassinations, strikes
1906 – 14: The Dumas
The October manifesto decreed that no law should come into force without the consent of the state Duma.
Witte resigned just before the first duma to be replaced by Goremykin (conservative). Govt cabinet contained no progressives
Duma (1): April to June 1906
Top parties = Labourists (SRs had boycotted), Kadets (REFORMIST)Liberals had high hopes – expected to be able to debate the big issuesNot offered by the govtTsarist regime recovering after 1905Early 1906 govt had a big loan from the French (no financial hold could be gained by the Duma)Fundamental Laws restrictiveBi-cameral duma – elected lower house plus State Council (appointed)Right of vetoOverall no intention of allowing the duma powerBitter mood, voiced anger, far from compliant – felt betrayedDissolved in atmosphere of violence200 deputies reassemble at Vyborg – ‘Appeal’ urging people to stop paying taxes and disobey conscription. Reaction was scattered violence rather than passive resistance – arrested and debarred from future. No real defence of the duma…prelude to Stolypin repressionLong-term effects – Kadets never really recover from humiliation, liberals discredited, played into the hands of the extremes
Duma (2): February to June 1907
Vyborg – Kadets lost half their seats (two leading Kadets assassinated during elections)Still no more amenable than the firstSDs / SRs over 80 deputiesStrongly anti-governmentRight-wing also significant increase, considerable disagreement between themselves as well as the govt. Still overall hostileStolypin sought to work with the duma but found his land reforms opposedTsar upset by duma attack on the way the army was runTsar accused SRs / SDs of subversion (plotting to kill the Tsar?) – dissolved after the duma refused to expel them
Duma (3): November 1907 to June 1912
Tsar did not dismiss dumas altogether, good to show democracy (loans)Doctored electoral system to make it more docile (reduced franchise of peasants and workers)Heavily dominated by the right-wing (govt working majority), criticism now more mutedStolypin found duma more co-operative, pursuing land reformsStill exercised the right to question ministers and to discuss state financesUsed committee system to look at modernisation of the armed servicesSocial reforms also, e.g. schools / national insuranceGood but duma totally unrepresentative of the people
Duma (4): November 1912 to August 1914
Modern historians less dismissive of the dumas, i.e. less critical of the Tsar but still voiced themE.g. 1912 Moscow Okhrana report blamed tensions in Russia on the constant questions of the dumaAlso progressive work of the Duma – state welfareOnly blindness of the Tsar that stopped it contributing more E.g. Duma resolution of 1913 stating that the govt was damaging its own position by failing to acknowledge Russia’s problems
