You left out his persecution of his Jewish subjects, most of whome were as loyal as any other. This is personal for me as my ancestors were forced to flee his empire following the pogroms that came after the 1905 revolution and the end of the Russo Japanese war.
He was a case of a right man at the wrong time. He was too holy, too beholden to a court in decline and not ruthless enough to captain Russia through that era.
Most of the criticisms aimed at him historically are better applied to the aristocratic court he was surrounded by. Largely inept when it came to running things, and viciously envious of anyone with actual ability. So many potential Russian saviours in the 1905-18 era were undermined by court intrigues that it is hard to mention them all.
A ruthless leader like Ivan might have held Russia together. A visionary like Peter might have helped modernise enough of the empire to endure the war.
It's also worth bearing in mind that the Volga Germans, and others of German background, were effectively wiped out through the 20th century. Unlike other minorities, they tended to embrace the Royalist side through the civil war, rather than the Red side, and continued to be punished until they were effectively extinct.
I can think of two prominent Baltic Germans who were great men:
Pyotr Wrangel & Baron Roman Von Ugern Sternberg. Shame Russia post-civil war purged men like them or forced them to flee. Russia is lesser now and it will take a lot to rebuild her.
I think pre-1917 is poorly known and understood, even among the few in the West who know Russia and its history. Seeing the rapid progress Russia made in this time, one may wonder were the country would be today if it wasn't for the terrible things that happened to this country since 1914.
A very well done article! keep publishing it! Thanks for presenting this other (and true) side of Czar Nicolau II.
You left out his persecution of his Jewish subjects, most of whome were as loyal as any other. This is personal for me as my ancestors were forced to flee his empire following the pogroms that came after the 1905 revolution and the end of the Russo Japanese war.
Thank you for pointing that out.
He was a case of a right man at the wrong time. He was too holy, too beholden to a court in decline and not ruthless enough to captain Russia through that era.
Most of the criticisms aimed at him historically are better applied to the aristocratic court he was surrounded by. Largely inept when it came to running things, and viciously envious of anyone with actual ability. So many potential Russian saviours in the 1905-18 era were undermined by court intrigues that it is hard to mention them all.
A ruthless leader like Ivan might have held Russia together. A visionary like Peter might have helped modernise enough of the empire to endure the war.
It's also worth bearing in mind that the Volga Germans, and others of German background, were effectively wiped out through the 20th century. Unlike other minorities, they tended to embrace the Royalist side through the civil war, rather than the Red side, and continued to be punished until they were effectively extinct.
I can think of two prominent Baltic Germans who were great men:
Pyotr Wrangel & Baron Roman Von Ugern Sternberg. Shame Russia post-civil war purged men like them or forced them to flee. Russia is lesser now and it will take a lot to rebuild her.
Very interesting read!
I think pre-1917 is poorly known and understood, even among the few in the West who know Russia and its history. Seeing the rapid progress Russia made in this time, one may wonder were the country would be today if it wasn't for the terrible things that happened to this country since 1914.