The Last Tsar - Chapter Eight Nicholas II

Chapter Eight
Nicholas II

He was weak beyond imagination. He was indecisive. He was unable to make decisions.

Count Witte wrote in his memoirs - 'Our Emperor is Byzantine.'

He wanted to do everything himself, because he did not trust anybody. Unlike other monarchs, he had not even a secretary. He was a fatalist. The British prime minister, Lloyd George, wrote in his book - 'Nicholas was a crown without a head.'

C.M. Bykov wrote in his book - 'Nicholas II was weak, cruel, double-faced, suspicious, vindictive and unscrupulous.'

Alexander Kerensky wrote in his book - 'He was indifferent to other people's sorrow and suffering, but he was very polite. He remained polite even to the very end of his life. After abdication life was not very easy and rosy for him, but still for a moment he never failed to be courteous.'

Count Witte wrote in his autobiography - 'I went to the Palace to see the Tsar, he received me cordially, he showered upon me all sorts of best wishes and blessings, kissed me and embraced me. I came home with good heart but next morning only to receive from (Tsar) a letter dismissing me from the post of premiership.'

Nicholas II was born on 6th May 1868. In his childhood and youth he was influenced by two men, one was his very powerful father, Tsar Alexander III, and his tutor Pobedostov. Both of them hated democracy and parliament. To them parliament and newspapers were the roots of all evil. From his childhood he learnt from them that 'autocracy is the best form and only form of government for Russia'. Pobedostov's influence on Nicholas was tremendous. In 1893 he came to England to attend the wedding of his cousin, George V and Queen Mary. He visited many places but avoided Parliament and the House of Commons. He finished his studies at the age of 22. He joined the army and took training to become the Colonel of the Regiment.

In 1890, Nicholas and his brother George left home for a visit to eastern countries. After visiting Egypt, his brother George became very ill and was sent back home. Nicholas, with his Greek cousin, proceeded towards India and Japan. In India, Nicholas complained about heat. In Japan he was attached by a Japanese fanatic. After crossing the Pacific he came to Vladivostock where he laid a foundation stone for the world's longest railway line - the Trans Siberian Railway - from Moscow to Vladivostock.

To the despair of Russian liberals, who had hoped that the death of Alexander III would mean a modification of the autocracy, Nicholas quickly made it clear that he would closely abide by the principle of autocracy. In sending to the new Tsar the traditional address of congratulation on his accession, the Zemstvo (Council) of the Tver, a stronghold of liberalism, expressed its dearest desire of having some power. Nicholas drafted a reply denouncing the Zemstvo of Tver for cherishing 'a senseless dream'. His speech ran from one end to the other end of Russia like an electric shock. To the revolutionaries it is a challenge. They set to work again to destroy the Tsarism.