Changes

More violent protests ensued, and Czar Nicholas II allowed the creation of the first-ever elected Russian parliament, called the Duma.  It met initially in May 1906, when it was led by moderates trying to imitate the constitutional monarchy of Britain.  But Nicholas dissolved the parliament after it met for only ten weeks.  It did occasionally meet again in the future, but never seemed to have any power.

More violent protests ensued, and Czar Nicholas II allowed the creation of the first-ever elected Russian parliament, called the Duma.  It met initially in May 1906, when it was led by moderates trying to imitate the constitutional monarchy of Britain.  But Nicholas dissolved the parliament after it met for only ten weeks.  It did occasionally meet again in the future, but never seemed to have any power.

Once World War I broke out, Nicholas moved to the front lines and left his wife, Czarina (Tsarina) Alexandra, in charge of running the country.  Alexandra’s son Alexis, however, developed a bleeding condition known as hemophilia, which means blood has difficulty clotting.  A small cut just bleeds and bleeds in a frightful manner.  His mother, the czarina, understandably was fraught with worry about his condition.  She increasingly relied on the only person who seemed able to stop her son’s bleeding:  a peasant-turned-monk named Rasputin.  Rasputin took advantage of this trust and began making decisions for the country, granting government positions to friends, and causing everyone (especially the nobles) to fear him.  Rasputin had a mystical quality that has inspired many books and stories about him.

Once World War I broke out, Nicholas moved to the front lines and left his wife, Czarina (Tsarina) Alexandra, in charge of running the country.  Alexandra’s son Alexis, however, developed a bleeding condition known as hemophilia, which means blood has difficulty clotting.  A small cut just bleeds and bleeds in a frightful manner.  His mother, the czarina, understandably was fraught with worry about his condition.  She increasingly relied on the only person who seemed able to stop her son’s bleeding:  a peasant-turned-monk named Rasputin.  Rasputin took advantage of this trust and began making decisions for the country, granting government positions to friends, and causing everyone (especially the nobles) to fear him.  Rasputin had a mystical quality that has inspired many books and stories about him. He had converted to Christianity at the age of 18 and when everyone else failed to help the boy’s bleeding disorder, Rasputin claimed healing powers that would help.  The nobles hated Rasputin because he was a peasant who now had power over them, and the nobles plotted to assassinate him.

 

Rasputin converted to Christianity at the age of 18 and when everyone else failed to help the boy’s bleeding disorder, Rasputin claimed healing powers that would help.  Whatever he did seemed to work, though historians still debate if and how he really stopped the bleeding.  Regardless, the nobles hated Rasputin because he was a peasant who now had power over them, and the nobles plotted to assassinate him.

In a Russian tradition that continues to this day, the method of choice for assassination was poisoning.  The nobles laced some pastries with enough poison to immediately kill a horse, and many times more what was necessary to kill a human immediately.  Rasputin ate several of the pastries and seemed to enjoy it.  He drank some wine.  Nothing happened to him.  His assassins watched and waited for hours.  Rasputin was completely enjoying himself and showed no ill effects whatsoever from the massive dose of poison.  Finally, after distracting Rasputin by pointing to a crucifix, a noble shot him point blank.  Rasputin fell to the floor and appeared to die.  His assassins left him there.  But later, when one returned to make sure Rasputin was dead, he sprung to his feet and began shaking his assassin by his shoulders.  Then Rasputin ran out, promising to tell the czarina.  The assassins shot him again and again, and then beat him with a dumbbell, and he still was not dead.  Then they tied him up and tossed him into the half-frozen river.  He eventually died from drowning, on Dec. 17, 1916.

In a Russian tradition that continues to this day, the method of choice for assassination was poisoning.  The nobles laced some pastries with enough poison to immediately kill a horse, and many times more what was necessary to kill a human immediately.  Rasputin ate several of the pastries and seemed to enjoy it.  He drank some wine.  Nothing happened to him.  His assassins watched and waited for hours.  Rasputin was completely enjoying himself and showed no ill effects whatsoever from the massive dose of poison.  Finally, after distracting Rasputin by pointing to a crucifix, a noble shot him point blank.  Rasputin fell to the floor and appeared to die.  His assassins left him there.  But later, when one returned to make sure Rasputin was dead, he sprung to his feet and began shaking his assassin by his shoulders.  Then Rasputin ran out, promising to tell the czarina.  The assassins shot him again and again, and then beat him with a dumbbell, and he still was not dead.  Then they tied him up and tossed him into the half-frozen river.  He eventually died from drowning, on Dec. 17, 1916.