Nicolas the II

Lately I have indulged myself in a reading binge that includes history of monarchies all around the world. The fascinating story of their fall and rise. The treachery, passion and ruthless politics. Of all the gripping stories one that intrigued me the most was the lifestory of Nicolas II, the last Tsar of Russia.

Nicolas II was a descendant of the Romanovs who ruled Russia for over 300 years. Romanovs maintained absolute power and ruled almost one-sixth of the world. An empire that took enormous patience, dedication and violence to build was destined to end brutally with the assasination of Nicolas II and his entire family.

Once born to unfathomable amount of wealth and power Nicolas II died a pitiful death at the hands of revolutionaries. Was it fair? I have run the incidents that occured in Nicolas II's life over and over again in my head and from what I have read and heard it does seem like Nicolas II was not sure of his own actions. His decisions were based on shaky principles. He did not have the decision making rationality or ability to yield absolute power.

And to begin with Nicolas II did not want to be a Tsar. And when he did become one, his self doubts only quadrupuled his troubles. He is not to be blamed entirely since he did not have the right support system that could brush his skills and confidence and make him the Tsar he wanted to be. His life was more about loving his wife Alexandra and their children, carrying forth the Romanov tradition of serfdom, and coming down hard on revolutionaries.

Nicolas II had seen his grandfather, who inspite of his efforts to negotiate with the revolutionaries, was blown into pieces by the very same revolutionaries. Result solid hatred for the revolutionaries in Nicolas II and his father's heart. Nicolas II's father after the death of his father, Alexander II had chosen to stop negotiating with the reolutionaries.A legacy that Nicolas II followed without questions.

This is where he made a fatal mistake. Had Alexander III continued the negotiations despite of what happened to his predecessor then maybe Nicolas II's bloodline would not have ended just as barbarically as it did. But who was to say? The ministers at the time had no power other than that of suggesting ideas to the Tsar.

It is not like Nicolas II did not think of reconcilliation. There are several times when he did but seems like Romanovs where made to believe that they were chosen by God to rule Russian empire and giving that right away would be blasphemy. And this one little thought cost him his and his family's life.

His wife Alexandra could have had taken some active interest in the Tsar's life but all she did was shy away from crowd, tell Nicolas II to do what he wanted to do and not listen to anyone, and ofcouse there was her son who was supposedly healed by Rasputin. All this and more only infuriated the revolutionaries and dug the grave deeper and deeper for the Tsar's family.

With millions of people in poverty, and more getting killed due to the war it was obvious that revolution would happen and when it did it only turned ugly. Nicolas II made wrong choices, took wrong decisons. His people suffered and cursed him. Sometimes I wonder if it were those curses that killed him and his family?

Again who is to say? Karma or wrong decisions something and everything led to the fall of the Tsar. But why his family? Do his doings or misdoing justify the killings of his wife and children? The answer's counter argument is that serfs and others in Russia had families too! They were innocent too but suffered absolute poverty and hunger and the Tsar did nothing to allievate their situation and thus the anger of the mass and so the consequence.

The debate will never cease and Nicolas II's life and death will always be up for curiosity and opinions. All I understand is that even royalties face problems and histroy has proved time and again that monarchies that once rose to its highest sooner or later fell with a thud. End is not pretty but it did not have to be ugly for Nicolas II and his family.

But ugly it was and will always inspire and alert me to know enough that life is not easy. No one promised it to be easy, there will be problems, there will be issues, what matters at the end of the day is to face life with the same zeal as that of the monarchies who thought of themselves as indespensable. They were mere mortals but they faced life with great pomp and stared straight into the eyes of death. They marched for honor and stood for their principles. They made mistakes and did a lot of wrong. But sometimes they did something right. Their hopes were trampled, their dreams cornered just like that of any commoner.

But they lived as long as life let them live. Their lives a lesson to all. Awe, inspiration, morals and messages. Take some and leave some but know that death and pain spare none. Not a commoner and not even Nicolas II, the last Tsar of Russia.