Rasputin and Nicholas II

Essay # 58012

History > Russian

An examination of the 1917 Russian Revolution.

1,949 words () | 9 sources | MLA | 2001

Paper Summary:

This paper disputes the historic argument that Rasputin was the main cause of the Russian Revolution and claims that the real cause was the weak tsar, Nicholas II, who allowed an illiterate peasant from Siberia to influence his decisions. It attempts to show that, although Rasputin was close to the Tsar and Tsarina and did have a powerful influence over them, he was not the main cause of the Russian Revolution, but one of many.

From the Paper:

"Apart from his ability to attract people, circumstances were very favorable for Rasputin to gain a place of great importance with the Tsar and Tsarina. History suggests that he was able to attract the attention, trust and friendship of Tsar Nicholas and Tsarina Alexandra for one important reason. In short, their only son, and heir to the throne, the Tsarvich Alexei was a very sick young boy who suffered from a disease known as hemophilia. The doctors were all unable to cure him and to relieve his suffering, but Rasputin, it seems had the ability to stop Alexei's bleeding and is believed to have saved him on several occasions (Lieven)."