Nicholas II

born: May 6, 1868 died: July 16, 1918 Allies

Involvement in the War:

Nicholas was an extremely smart man and very well educated. He was at the top of his class and was the most intelligent of the European monarchs of his time. His parents prepared him for the task of being a 20th Century Czar, knowing it would be quite different from previous years. Nicholas always put his country before anything else in life. He thought the fate of his family and his country were inseparable. Though praised for his admirable qualities, he was portrayed as a failure. Although an intelligent man, he hesitated to draw his own conclusions and thus often pondered on important issues. Lacking political knowledge and instinct, he was rarely sure how to handle the affairs of state. It was difficult to relate to his mentality and follow his leadership. In 1914, World War I began. Nicholas II took command of the army in 1915. He left the government of Russia in the hands of Czarina Alexandra Feodorovna and her advisor Rasputin. Discontent spread throughout Russia as the army tired of war, food shortages worsened, and the government had fallen into complete disarray under the control of the insane Rasputin. In March of 1917, Nicholas II was forced to abdicate. He and his family were shot to death in Yekatinburg on July 16, 1918 by the local Bolshevik.

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