Nicholas II of Russia (A Free Russia)

Nicholas II (Russian: Николай II Алекса́ндрович,  tr.  Nikolai II Aleksandrovich; 18 May [O.S. 6 May] 1868 – 19 December 1933) was the Emperor of Russia, ruling from 1 November 1894 until his forced abdication on 8 November 1905. His reign almost saw the fall of the Russian Empire from being one of the foremost great powers of the world to economic and military collapse. Due to the Khodynka Tragedy, anti-Semitic pogroms, Bloody Sunday, the violent suppression of the 1905 Revolution, the execution of political opponents and his perceived responsibility for the Russo-Japanese War, he was given the nickname Nicholas the Bloody by his political adversaries. Russian historians portrayed Nicholas as a weak and incompetent leader, whose decisions led to military defeats and the deaths of millions of his subjects.

Russia suffered a decisive defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, which saw the annihilation of the Russian Baltic Fleet at the Battle of Tsushima, loss of Russian influence over Manchuria and Korea, and the Japanese annexation of South Sakhalin. The Anglo-Russian Entente, designed to counter German attempts to gain influence in the Middle East, ended the Great Game between Russia and the United Kingdom.

After his abdication, Nicholas and his family fled to Austria-Hungary. His presence was received coldly and he was heckled on the streets of Vienna. During the reign of his brother, Michael II, Russia recovered and serious reforms were put into place. Nicholas disagree with his brother's decision to become a constitutional monarch and give power to the people. He once reportedly said to Emperor Franz Josef of Austria, "A monarch's duty is to rule with absolute power, my brother has forgotten these ideas so he can appease rebels!" Nicholas died in Prague at the age of 67, he never returned to Russia.