Tsar Nicholas II
Nicholas II, the last Romanov tsar, reigned from 1894 until his abdication during the February Revolution of 1917. A devoted family man of limited political ability, he clung to autocratic principles his empire had outgrown, resisting constitutional reform even after the 1905 revolution forced the creation of a Duma. His decision in September 1915 to assume personal command of the army tied the monarchy's prestige directly to military failure, while leaving the government in Petrograd under the disastrous influence of Empress Alexandra and Rasputin. Defeats, casualties exceeding any other belligerent, and the breakdown of food supply destroyed his authority; he abdicated on 2 March 1917 (OS) for himself and his son. He and his entire family were shot by the Bolsheviks at Yekaterinburg in July 1918.
- Lived: 1868 CE – 1918 CE
- Nationality: Russian
- Roles: head of state, commander-in-chief
