Nicholas Ii as an Autocrat
- Submitted by: clinton4
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- Category: History: European
- Date Submitted: 07/02/2011 08:30 AM
- Pages: 3
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Born may 1968
Father was Alexander III
Succeeded the throne to tsar on the 20th October 1894 (26 y.o.) after his father died of liver disease.
Political
When he succeeded his father, he had very little experience of government.
Nicholas felt he was not ready to rule. He knew the weighty task of ruling Russia was greater than his experience and abilities. Yet he believed, even with all his inadequacies and self-doubt, that God had chosen his destiny.
Nicholas concluded that on earth he could trust few people. Bullied and misled by his relatives he increasingly turned to his wife for support. Nicholas became cynical and mistrustful of human nature. Loneliness and isolation would be his lot in life.
A cultural nationalist, Nicholas was opposed to the Westernization of Russia.
Nicholas II and Alexandra disliked St. Petersburg as it was too modern so he moved to the country.
Although he described himself as a man of peace, he favoured an expanded Russian Empire.
Nicholas was a hard worker and diligent about state business, although his accomplishments where severely limited by his tendency to focus on detail rather than the big picture. He was uncertain of his own opinions on things and felt asking for advice to be a sign of weakness or hesitancy. Therefore he tried to follow his own 'instincts' which were limited by his experience and narrow upbringing.
Assessment
Though lauded for his admirable personal qualities, as an absolute autocrat Nicholas has been deemed a failure. He found it impossible to reconcile his own strict views of what was right and wrong for Russia with the responsibility of a modern monarch to compromise his own views for the good of the nation.
Not an unintelligent man, but hesitant to draw his own conclusions, Nicholas vacillated on important issues. Lacking political savvy and instinct, he was seldom sure how to handle the affairs of state. This made him come across as weak and contradictory to his ministers. They found it...
Father was Alexander III
Succeeded the throne to tsar on the 20th October 1894 (26 y.o.) after his father died of liver disease.
Political
When he succeeded his father, he had very little experience of government.
Nicholas felt he was not ready to rule. He knew the weighty task of ruling Russia was greater than his experience and abilities. Yet he believed, even with all his inadequacies and self-doubt, that God had chosen his destiny.
Nicholas concluded that on earth he could trust few people. Bullied and misled by his relatives he increasingly turned to his wife for support. Nicholas became cynical and mistrustful of human nature. Loneliness and isolation would be his lot in life.
A cultural nationalist, Nicholas was opposed to the Westernization of Russia.
Nicholas II and Alexandra disliked St. Petersburg as it was too modern so he moved to the country.
Although he described himself as a man of peace, he favoured an expanded Russian Empire.
Nicholas was a hard worker and diligent about state business, although his accomplishments where severely limited by his tendency to focus on detail rather than the big picture. He was uncertain of his own opinions on things and felt asking for advice to be a sign of weakness or hesitancy. Therefore he tried to follow his own 'instincts' which were limited by his experience and narrow upbringing.
Assessment
Though lauded for his admirable personal qualities, as an absolute autocrat Nicholas has been deemed a failure. He found it impossible to reconcile his own strict views of what was right and wrong for Russia with the responsibility of a modern monarch to compromise his own views for the good of the nation.
Not an unintelligent man, but hesitant to draw his own conclusions, Nicholas vacillated on important issues. Lacking political savvy and instinct, he was seldom sure how to handle the affairs of state. This made him come across as weak and contradictory to his ministers. They found it...