The contemporary assessments of Nicholas are remarkably uniform. He was described as shy, charming, gentle in disposition, fearful of controversy, indecisive, indulgent to his relatives, and deeply devoted to his family. Aleksandr Mosolov, who headed his Court Chancellery for sixteen years, wrote that Nicholas, though intelligent and well-educated, never adopted a definite, energetic attitude and loathed making a decision in the presence of others. Sergei Witte, who served Nicholas and his father for eleven years as Minister of Finance, commented that the Tsar was a well-intentioned child, but his actions were entirely dependent upon the character of his counselors, most of whom were bad. Raymond Esthus, historian
I saw their incredible wealth: the palaces, the balls, the jewellery. And then I saw the madness: the Revolution. It all ended here in this house. The richest family in the world, the emperor and the empress of Russia, Nicholas and Alexandra, their five children, vanished without a trace. The Last Czars I: The Chosen One, Netflix 2019
In 1894 Czar Alexander III died suddenly at the age of 49. Russia was in shock. His heir, Nicholas, was just 26. ibid.
‘From this point he is called Nicholas the Bloody. It’s a disastrous start to Nicholas’s reign.’ ibid. Montefiore
To be the Czar was to have absolute power … What he needed most – a son and heir. The Last Czars II: The Boy
‘The Romanovs had ruled Russia for almost 300 years.’ ibid. Montefiore
‘Japan: He [Nicholas] was sure he would win the contest and that Japan would never go to war against him which is a colossal misjudgment.’ ibid.
‘Russia is totally humiliated.’ ibid.
The Monk had a very special place in the Romanov household because of the boy’s haemophilia. The Last Czars III: Anarchy
‘After Bloody Sunday and the disastrous war with Japan, Russia is in open revolt.’ ibid. Dr Pablo de Orellana
‘Nicholas encouraged every piece of cruelty.’ ibid. Montefiore
In 1914 Rasputin returned to his village in Siberia as one of the most powerful men in Russia. He had wealth, he had fame, but he also had enemies. The rich and the powerful hated his influence over the Tsar and Tsarina. The Last Czars IV: War
‘Nicky dreamed of being supreme commander himself.’ ibid. Montefiore
The body of Grigori Rasputin was discovered beneath the ice … on 19th December 1916. The Last Czars V: Revolution
‘Workers are turning to revolution as the only way to change their fate.’ ibid. Montefiore
‘The soldiers obey the orders: they fire into the crowd. Despite the massacre the people won’t back down.’ ibid.
‘England perhaps: speak to cousin George.’ ibid. mother of Nicholas
Did Anastasia really escape one of the most tragic events of recent times? The Last Czars VI: The House of Special Purpose
In May 1918, a year after the revolution, the Bolsheviks sends Anastasia, Alexei, Tatiana and Olga to join the rest of the family in Yekaterinburg. ibid.
‘They are trying to trick them into an escape in which they can be killed.’ ibid. Montefiore
‘Things are getting darker and darker in the House of Special Purpose.’ ibid.
The sudden violence of the Russian revolution stripped the Czar of his power. The entire Royal Family was brutally murdered. A legend endures however that the Czar’s youngest daughter Anastasia escaped the massacre and is still alive today. In Search of s2e13 … Anastasia, 1978
The news that Nikki, Alix and the children were prisoners in their own palace was truly shocking. The Royal Mob IV, History 2022