Nicholas and Alexandra - BAD DECISIONS

Tsar Nicholas II decided that he would personally take command of Russia's troops during World War I.  This image depicts him with members of the Russian military.  Image online via the Russian State Archives.  Click on the image for a better view.

Nicholas II made some bad decisions when he was Tsar.

To celebrate his marriage to Alexandra, Nicholas held a customary banquet for his subjects:

• This traditional wedding feast turned into a stampeding mass of humanity as people - trying to grab morsels of food - crushed each other.

• Many people died, and Nicholas was criticized for not canceling plans to attend a celebratory ball in his honor.

• He was encouraged to attend the ball by his uncles who thought it would be rude not to appear. 

Thinking he needed an ice-free Pacific port, Nicholas fought a war with Japan (in 1904):

• It was a disastrous move that ended in stinging defeat.

• Russia had to surrender to Japan.

• This embarrassment did not sit well with the Russian people.

When World War I broke out, Nicholas decided to assume personal command of Russia's military:

• He miscalculated his ability as a military leader.

• He misread the needs of his people.

• When support for the war eroded because people were starving, he paid no attention.

• When riots began in St. Petersburg (this link takes you to the War Office Arch during the time of the Romanovs), he was at the front - not in the city where his presence could have made a difference.

These mistakes did not sit well with the Tsar's military generals.

Nicholas II made some bad decisions when he was Tsar. One of the worst was allowing Rasputin to become close to the royal family.