Tsar Nicholas II became the last Russian monarch following the assassination of his father in 1894. He married Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt, who later became Alexandra Feodorovna. They had five children, including the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and the Tsarevich Alexei.
Nicholas was generally seen as an inept and unpopular ruler, particularly for his handling of World War I, which was a disaster for Russia. There were food shortages, inflation, and a lack of support for the military. Public unrest grew, with many people demanding reforms and calling for Nicholas to abdicate.
Meanwhile, Alexandra was deeply unpopular with the Russian people due to her perceived influence over the Tsar. She was German and seen as a foreigner who did not understand Russia. She had also become increasingly involved with the Siberian holy man Grigori Rasputin, whom she believed had miraculous healing powers and could save her son Alexei from his hemophilia.
The situation in Russia deteriorated rapidly, with strikes, demonstrations, and riots taking place. The Tsar's advisors urged him to make reforms and allow more political representation, but Nicholas resisted and continued to believe that he could govern as an autocrat.
In February 1917, the situation became critical, and Nicholas was forced to abdicate. He and his family were placed under house arrest in Tsarskoe Selo, and later transferred to Tobolsk in Siberia. The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, seized power in October 1917 and eventually killed the Romanovs in July 1918.
The story of Nicholas and Alexandra has been the subject of numerous books, films, and television shows, depicting both the splendor of the royal court and the tragedy of their downfall.
