Events moved with swiftness in Petrograd as the workers and soldiers seized the city. The same cannot besaid of the Tsar Nicholas Il was gripped with indecision. Politics for him was an intrusion into the gentle life he led as an autocrat ordained by God. In 1915 there had been a ministerial crisis and the Duma was dissolved. The Tsar noted the fact in his diary:
*Very busy morning. Half hour lale to breaktast witn the orticers ...A storm came up and it was vcry muzev. we walkee toeerner Received Goremykin. Signed a acCIcc asso vint ne suna nee with Olga and Petia. Read all CCIRE.
POLITICAL CRISIS The state of the Tsar's breakfast seemed to have caused him greater concern than the political crisis over which he was presiding. Indeed the events of February in Petrograd caused the Tsar no undue worry. On the morning of 27 February, Rodzianko, the President ot the Duma and a large landowner, sent the Tsar an urgent telegram, 'The last hour has come when the fate of the fatherland and the dynasty is being decided'. nonsense, wnich wont even bother to answer'.
The news of the uprisings by the Petrograd garrison forced the Tsar LO unk aral ne cecsion was taken to move 'reliable' from the Northern and Western fronts against Petrograd. These were put under the command of General Ivanov, who in crushed a mutiny by the sailors of Kronstadi The Tsar decided to move from his Army headquarters at Moghilev to Tsarskoe Selo, near Petrograd, wnere ine sarina and the rest of his family, suffering from tne measies, were nving. Ine sar left by train on 28 February. He never arrived artne rance Railways workers at Visher and Bologoe retused to let the two imperial trains pass. For a time the train s wncrcabours were un. known telegrams returned to sender Tsar turned back for Pskov, the headquarters of the Northern front under the command of General Ruzsky.
MONARCHY Nicholas arrived at Pskov on 1 March. General Ruzsky proposed unc colabusnmen ora consuuChief of Staff, Ruzsky's proposal. The Tsar, seeing the army hierarchy against him, agreed. Early in the morning of the next day Ruzsky held a four hour troops exchange of views over the telegraph with Rodzianko.
1906 INSUFFICIENT The President of the Duma outlined the state of play in Petro grad and came to the conclusion: I LnTK IE necessary To ronm that what you have been considering is not sutficient. and that the dynastic question immediate decision'.
Rodzianko simply echoed the views of the Petrograd masses that Tsar must abdicate. with the Romanovs', Down with autocracy', the workers and soldiers demanded. were The message was beginning to be Cinaly heard in high places. A copy of the Statement Dy Kodzianko was sent to all the most important Generals. Not one stooa Dy tne Isar. urged abdication. said: "The army in the field must be saved from disintegration'.
Having read the replies of his Generals, the Tsar abdicate in lavour of his son and make his brother, Grand Duke supporting VOl abicanon. *Down landowner and «JUCAKOV As Alekseev Situation and restore army asciD ine decided building lunatic asylum', he added.
Guchkov, a Moscow the monarchy capitalist and founding member of the Octobrist Party of the indusmonarchist, Petrograd on behalf of the Duma against the wishes of the Soviet.
COHIC exo amnee to Nicholas how the Provisional Committee of Ine Duma was trying to save the and order Shulgin added how the Petrograd Soviet meeting in the same severar Tarnter Duma exerted contror overit ine Dumais uke a TUTUre Both Nicholas changed his mind. He would abdicate in favour of his brother Michael and then emigrate with his family to England where, no doubt, he would be made welThe Duma representative agreed. Michael would be the new emperor and rule according to a new constitution. Prince Lvov was appointed the new Prime Minister.
The Tsar announced his abdicathe court and officers. WIE! gret, doubt at the thought of their While swearing the new oath of allegiance a corps thing would now be fine they were sadly mistaken. The masses were nol salistied nev nad no inten tion of replacing one Romanov wiln anomner Michael's reien as emperor lasted 24 hours before he Loo abercated MASS REVENGE On 8 March the Tsar was arrested and taken to the rest of his family. Seventeen months later at Ekaterinburg the Romanovs were snot. Ine kussian monarcny, nk an over ripe, rotten apple, had Talen. ne masses nac taken unei TCVCRTO