| Czar Nicholas II was the last in a long line of | | | | cement the Franco-Russian alliance. He instead |
| royalty in Russia. As with the end of any era, his | | | | married Princess Alix of the Hesse, a union that |
| story is a fascinating and sad one. | | | | was only granted on his father's deathbed. Czar |
| Russia is a country with a long and arduous | | | | Nicholas II was not groomed for his eventual |
| history. From military coups to royal fights and | | | | assumption of the throne, perhaps because his |
| cultural differences, this country has gone through | | | | father died so unexpectedly at the early age of |
| more transformations than any other Asian | | | | 49. He was unprepared and nervous, wondering |
| country. At one point, this country was expanded | | | | how he would manage to rule Russia, and decided |
| far into Europe, with many current European | | | | to keep his father's policies in places. |
| countries under its rule. The monarchs of Russia | | | | In 1905, the Russian Revolution led to issues |
| were often responsible for large areas of land | | | | between the Czar and his Duma, a party or |
| with a big population, and their histories were as | | | | cabinet that helped rule over the country, as well |
| varied as that of the country itself. The last of | | | | as the prime minister. At the same time, Nicholas |
| these monarchs lasted into the 20th century, | | | | II's son, Alexei, was born with hemophilia, which |
| Czar Nicholas II. | | | | almost always proved fatal at this time. The Czar |
| Czar Nicholas II was born in 1868, and he was the | | | | hired Rasputin, a mystic, to help his son with the |
| last Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand | | | | pain and ease his suffering, but this resulted in |
| Duke of Finland. He assumed power in the year | | | | another problem, as it turned more people against |
| 1894, and ruled over Russia and its territories until | | | | Nicholas II. Within 10 years, the start of World |
| he was forced to abdicate the throne in 1917. He | | | | War I forced a revolution among the ill prepared |
| died a year later, when Bolsheviks executed him | | | | Russians, who were being attacked mercilessly by |
| and his family in June 1918. His execution gave him | | | | the Germans. |
| the name "Nicholas the Martyr", but he was also | | | | The year 1917 saw the "February Revolution", in |
| known as "Bloody Nicholas" and had the full title of | | | | which Czar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate his |
| Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of all the | | | | throne, ending the Romanov dynasty as well as |
| Russians. | | | | the imperial system of rule. In the year 1918, |
| Nicholas II was not well loved by his parents, and | | | | Nicholas II was killed by execution, along with his |
| even his marriage was a struggle, as his father | | | | family. The bodies of the Romanovs were not |
| had hoped he'd marry a French princess to | | | | discovered until the 1990's. |