The decline and fall of the Romanovs:

1) Assess the impact of political and economical grievances in bringing an end to the Romanov dynasty. There were many internal factors that led to the decline and eventual fall of the Romanov Dynasty. These included the autocratic rule of Nicholas II, who was a very conservative leader, and proved incompetent and lacking in the skills necessary to successfully bring Russia into the 20th century. AS Orlando Figes says of the reigns of Nicholas and his father, It was their tragedy that just as Russia was entering the 20th century, they were to return it to the 17th, (Figes 1997, p.14). Nicholas was lacking in the political and military knowledge needed to lead an autocracy as large as Russia. Of constitutional, social and economic problems he understood little, (H. SetonWatson, The decline of Imperial Russia, p.136). He refused to accept advice by more experienced and knowledgeable people than himself. Nicholas wanted to preserve all the power of the tsar for himself, and so, refused to give power to a Duma, which would have done much to appease the Russian public. The decline and eventual fall of the Romanovs was heavily contributed by the major political factors of the time, which included the differing views by varying groups within Russia, on how best to run the nation. These groups were mainly the social revolutionaries, the Bolsheviks, the Mensheviks, the Octoberists and the Cadets. The political tension between these groups provided much fuel for discontentment and strikes in the country. Figes states that, Russian society at the beginning of the twentieth century was becoming rapidly more educated, more urban and more complex, (Figes 1997, p.15). Also, as the population grew more literate, they became educated in different social policies, which they saw as superior to that of an autocracy. As this knowledge spread, so too did the wish to reform. Nicholas ignored these problems and continuously overlooked the seriousness of the situation. The economic factors that contributed to the decline and fall of the Romanovs included, harsh weather conditions, which led to poor harvest; poor economic management; and unsuccessful attempts to industrialise, causing massive problems for Russia. These factors only added to the list of reasons why workers went on strike, yet Nicholas did nothing to appease them, and this led to his inevitable downfall, along with that of the whole Romanov Dynasty.

2) Describe the main problems facing Russia during the reign of Nicholas II.

The main external factor that led to the decline and fall of the Romanov Dynasty was the First World War. In 1914, Russia declared war against Germany, and entered virtually blindfolded and completely unprepared. Russia was not ready for a modern world war, and Nicholas did not have the ability to successfully bring his country into the 20th century, and modern ways. Not only did he lack in the ability, but Nicholas was most unwilling to share his power with anyone else, keeping himself as a strict, conservative autocratic leader during the time that this was most advised against. The First World War brought with it many unforeseen problems; the Russian war minister had severely underestimated the needs of the army for a modern war. Factories could not produce enough ammunition and army commanders were forced to plan maneuvers using maps as much as eighteen years out of date. By 1916, soldiers were fighting barefoot, with a maximum of one rifle to every three people. The wounded were left on train platforms for days, and were transported in very poor conditions. The Russian army suffered major losses, which, in turn, resulted in a loss of morale and support. Men and horses were lost to the war effort, leaving no one to work the land back home. There were increased hardships due to the economic strains caused by the war effort. Hyper-inflation resulted in peasants becoming reluctant to sell their devalued grain. Due to the lack of food, the people in the cities began to protest again. As wages remained low and prices rose, urban discontent took over. Strikes resulted in factories losing valuable production time: this lead to a decrease in the amount of ammunition and rifles being produced, again undermining the war effort. Nicholas took over as army commander-in-chief, thus forming a link in the Russian publics minds that he was to blame for the lack of success. Nicholas made many poor military decisions, which resulted in the loss of the war and of peoples respect for him as the Tsar. With Nicholas gone, Alexandra was left in charge. Alexandra was influenced greatly by Rasputin, and much gossip began to circulate about them. The general public adopted a sense of distrust towards them, and dubbed them the Mad Monk and the German woman. Nicholas failed to reform his stance on autocracy and a government when the public demanded it. The people received no civil liberties, and their discontentment towards the Tsar grew. Nicholas failed to conduct the war properly, and disregarded the advice of experienced people. He also allowed Rasputin to undermine his government, and place inept people in positions of power and authority. Hence, the First World War played a major role in the fall and decline of Nicholas and the Romanov Dynasty.