Nicholas II

Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 18 May [O.S. 6 May] 1868 – 17 July 1918) was Emperor of Russia from 1 November 1894 until his abdication in 1917. He was the last monarch of Russia before the Russian Revolution, and oversaw the Russian Empire's participation in World War I. In 1918, the Romanovs were murdered, putting an end to the dynasty.

Born in Tsarskoye Selo, Nicholas was the eldest son of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna. He was educated privately and trained for military service, but was widely considered ill-prepared for the demands of ruling a vast empire. As a constitutional monarch, he resisted political reform and retained autocratic control over the nation's governance despite the establishment of the Duma. While his reign witnessed significant industrial growth and diplomatic engagement, it was also marked by domestic unrest, military defeats, and widespread criticism.

Nicholas faced mounting disapproval following Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War and the turmoil of the 1905 Revolution. During World War I, his popularity declined even further as military losses and economic hardship eroded public confidence. In March 1917, the February Revolution forced his abdication, ending the Romanov dynasty's 304-year rule. He and his family were imprisoned by the Provisional Government and later transferred to Bolshevik custody. On 17 July 1918, they were executed in Yekaterinburg.

In the years following his death, Nicholas was reviled by Soviet historians and state propaganda as a "callous tyrant" who "persecuted his own people while sending countless soldiers to their deaths in pointless conflicts". Despite being viewed more positively in recent years, the majority view among historians is that Nicholas was a well-intentioned yet poor ruler who proved incapable of handling the challenges facing his nation. He and his family were canonised as passion bearers by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000, following the discovery and reburial of their remains in 1998.