Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia, was born Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov on May 18, 1868, in Tsarskoye Selo, near St. Petersburg. He ascended the throne in 1894, inheriting a vast but troubled empire facing social unrest and calls for modernization. Nicholas, however, clung to autocratic rule, leading to growing discontent. Disastrous military defeats in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) and World War I (1914-1918) further eroded public trust. In March 1917, amid widespread food shortages and political turmoil, Nicholas was forced to abdicate, ending the 300-year Romanov dynasty.
Following his abdication, Nicholas and his family were imprisoned by the Bolsheviks. On July 17, 1918, fearing their rescue by advancing anti-Bolshevik forces, they were executed along with their retainers in Yekaterinburg, Siberia. The brutal killings marked a bloody chapter in Russian history and cemented Nicholas II’s image as a tragic figure who failed to adapt to the changing times.
