Nicholas II

Table of Contents

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

For Students

Nicholas II summary

Nicholas II

Q: Who were Nicholas II’s parents?

Nicholas II’s father was Tsar Alexander III , and his mother was Maria Fyodorovna, daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark.

Q: What was Nicholas II’s family like?

In 1894 Nicholas II married Alexandra , a granddaughter of Queen Victoria . They had four daughters—Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia —and one son, Alexis .

Q: How did Nicholas II die?

The Russian Revolution toppled the Romanov dynasty , and Nicholas II abdicated on March 15, 1917. The royal family was arrested by the Bolsheviks and held in seclusion. On July 17, 1918, the Bolsheviks murdered Nicholas, his family, and their closest retainers.

Q: How did Nicholas II change the world?

Nicholas II was an uncompromising autocrat, and this stance helped provoke the Russian Revolution of 1905 . After Russia entered World War I , Nicholas left the capital to assume command of the army. The power vacuum was filled by Alexandra, who elevated unqualified favourites like Rasputin and disregarded signs of impending revolution.

tsar of Russia

Also known as: Nikolay Aleksandrovich

Written by John L.H. Keep

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 28, 2024 • Article History

Nicholas II

See all media

Category: History & Society

Russian in full:: Nikolay Aleksandrovich

Born:: May 6 [May 18, New Style], 1868, Tsarskoye Selo [now Pushkin], near St. Petersburg, Russia

Died:: July 17, 1918, Yekaterinburg (aged 50)

Title / Office:: tsar (1895-1917), Russia; emperor (1895-1917), Russia

Founder:: ITAR-TASS

House / Dynasty:: Romanov dynasty

See all related content →

Who were Nicholas II’s parents?

What was Nicholas II’s family like?

How did Nicholas II die?

How did Nicholas II change the world?

Nicholas II (born May 6 [May 18, New Style], 1868, Tsarskoye Selo [now Pushkin], near St. Petersburg, Russia—died July 17, 1918, Yekaterinburg) was the last Russian emperor (1894–1917), who, with his wife, Alexandra, and their children, was killed by the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution. Nikolay Aleksandrovich was the eldest son and heir apparent (tsesarevich) of the tsarevitch Aleksandr Aleksandrovich (emperor as Alexander III from 1881) and his consort Maria Fyodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark). Succeeding his father on November 1, 1894, he was crowned tsar in Moscow on May 26, 1896. Neither by upbringing nor by temperament was Nicholas fitted ...(100 of 1578 words)

Access the full article

Help support true facts by becoming a member.