Nicholas II (May 18, 1868–July 17, 1918) was the last czar of Russia.

He ascended to the throne

following the death of his father in 1894. Woefully unprepared for such a role, Nicholas II has been
characterized as a naïve and incompetent leader. At a time of enormous social and political change
in his country, Nicholas held fast to outdated, autocratic policies and opposed reform of any kind.
His inept handling of military matters and insensitivity to the needs of his people helped to fuel the
1917 Russian Revolution. Forced to abdicate in 1917, Nicholas went into exile with his wife and five
children. After living more than a year under house arrest, the entire family was brutally executed in
July 1918 by Bolshevik soldiers. Nicholas II was the last of the Romanov Dynasty, which had ruled
Russia for 300 years.

Fast Facts: Czar Nicholas II

Known For: Last Czar of Russia; executed during the Russian revolution

Born: May 18, 1868 in Tsarskoye Selo, Russia

Parents: Alexander III and Marie Feodorovna

Died: July 17, 1918 in Ekaterinburg, Russia

Education: Tutored

Spouse: Princess Alix of Hesse (Empress Alexandra Feodorovna)

Children: Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei

Notable Quote: “I am not yet ready to be Tsar. I know nothing of the business of ruling.”

Early Life

Nicholas II, born in Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg, Russia, was the first child of Alexander III and
Marie Feodorovna (formerly Princess Dagmar of Denmark). Between 1869 and 1882, the royal
couple had three more sons and two daughters. The second child, a boy, died in infancy. Nicholas
and his siblings were closely related to other European royalty, including first cousins George V
(future king of England) and Wilhelm II, the last Kaiser (Emperor) of Germany.

In 1881, Nicholas’ father, Alexander III, became czar (emperor) of Russia after his father, Alexander
II, was killed by an assassin's bomb. Nicholas, at age 12, witnessed his grandfather's death when the
czar, horribly maimed, was carried back to the palace. Upon his father's ascension to the throne,
Nicholas became the Tsarevich (heir-apparent to the throne).

Despite being raised in a palace, Nicholas and his siblings grew up in a strict, austere environment
and enjoyed few luxuries. Alexander III lived simply, dressing as a peasant while at home and making
his own coffee each morning. The children slept on cots and washed in cold water. Overall, however,
Nicholas experienced a happy upbringing in the Romanov household.
The Young Tsarevich

Educated by several tutors, Nicholas studied languages, history, and the sciences, as well as
horsemanship, shooting, and even dancing. What he was not schooled in, unfortunately for Russia,
was how to function as a monarch. Czar Alexander III, healthy and robust at 6-foot-4, planned to rule
for decades. He assumed there would be plenty of time to instruct Nicholas in how to run the
empire.

At the age of 19, Nicholas joined an exclusive regiment of the Russian Army and also served in the
horse artillery. The Tsarevich didn't participate in any serious military activities; these commissions
were more akin to a finishing school for the upper class. Nicholas enjoyed his carefree lifestyle,
taking advantage of the freedom to attend parties and balls with few responsibilities to weigh him
down.

Prompted by his parents, Nicholas embarked upon a royal grand tour, accompanied by his brother
George. Departing Russia in 1890 and traveling by steamship and train, they visited the Middle East,
India, China, and Japan. While visiting Japan, Nicholas survived an assassination attempt in 1891
when a Japanese man lunged at him, swinging a sword at his head. The attacker's motive was never
determined. Although Nicholas suffered only a minor head wound, his concerned father ordered
Nicholas home immediately.

Betrothal to Alix and the Death of the Czar

Nicholas first met Princess Alix of Hesse (daughter of a German Duke and Queen Victoria's second
daughter Alice) in 1884 at the wedding of his uncle to Alix's sister Elizabeth. Nicholas was 16 and Alix
12. They met again on several occasions over the years, and Nicholas was adequately impressed to
write in his diary that he dreamed of one day marrying Alix.

When Nicholas was in his mid-20s and expected to seek a suitable wife from the nobility, he ended
his relationship with a Russian ballerina and began to pursue Alix. Nicholas proposed to Alix in April
1894, but she didn't immediately accept.

A devout Lutheran, Alix was hesitant at first because marriage to a future czar meant that she must
convert to the Russian Orthodox religion. After a day of contemplation and discussion with family
members, she agreed to marry Nicholas. The couple soon became quite smitten with one another
and looked forward to getting married the following year. Theirs would be a marriage of genuine
love.
Unfortunately, things changed drastically for the happy couple within months of their engagement.
In September 1894, Czar Alexander became gravely ill with nephritis (an inflammation of the kidney).
Despite a steady stream of doctors and priests who visited him, the czar died on November 1, 1894,
at the age of 49.

Twenty-six-year-old Nicholas reeled from both the grief of losing his father and the tremendous
responsibility now placed upon his shoulders.

Czar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra

Nicholas, as the new czar, struggled to keep up with his duties, which began with planning his
father's funeral. Inexperienced in planning such a grand-scale event, Nicholas received criticism on
many fronts for the numerous details that were left undone.

On November 26, 1894, just 25 days after Czar Alexander’s death, the period of mourning was
interrupted for a day so that Nicholas and Alix could marry. Princess Alix of Hesse, newly converted
to Russian Orthodoxy, became Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. The couple returned immediately to
the palace after the ceremony as a wedding reception was deemed inappropriate during the
mourning period.

The royal couple moved into the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo just outside of St. Petersburg
and within a few months learned they were expecting their first child. (Daughter Olga was born in
November 1895. She was followed by three more daughters: Tatiana, Marie, and Anastasia. The
long-anticipated male heir, Alexei, was finally born in 1904.)

In May 1896, a year and a half after Czar Alexander died, Czar Nicholas’ long-awaited, lavish
coronation ceremony finally took place. Unfortunately, a horrific incident occurred during one of the
many public celebrations held in Nicholas’ honor. A stampede on the Khodynka Field in Moscow
resulted in more than 1,400 deaths. Incredibly, Nicholas did not cancel the ensuing coronation balls
and parties. The Russian people were appalled at Nicholas' handling of the incident, which made it
appear that he cared little about his people.

By any account, Nicholas II had not begun his reign on a favorable note.

The Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)

Nicholas, like many past and future Russian leaders, wanted to expand his country’s territory.
Looking to the Far East, Nicholas saw potential in Port Arthur, a strategic warm-water port on the
Pacific Ocean in southern Manchuria (northeastern China). By 1903, Russia’s occupation of Port
Arthur angered the Japanese, who had themselves recently been pressured to relinquish the area.
When Russia built its Trans-Siberian Railroad through part of Manchuria, the Japanese were further
provoked.

Twice, Japan sent diplomats to Russia to negotiate the dispute; however, each time, they were sent
home without being granted an audience with the czar, who viewed them with contempt.

By February 1904, the Japanese had run out of patience. A Japanese fleet launched a surprise attack
on Russian warships at Port Arthur, sinking two of the ships and blockading the harbor. Well-
prepared Japanese troops also swarmed the Russian infantry at various points on land.
Outnumbered and outmaneuvered, the Russians suffered one humiliating defeat after another, both
on land and sea.

Nicholas, who had never thought th