greatwar-1914: March 15, 1917 - Tsar Nicholas II Abdicates Pictured - The war claims its first sover
greatwar-1914: March 15, 1917 - Tsar Nicholas II Abdicates Pictured - The war claims its first sovereign. The Tsar was in his train on March 15, waiting to get back to his capital. Revolutionaries had halted it on his way back to military headquarters at Mogilev, which forced him to take a longer way home through Pskov. That morning, however, he received a telegram from Mogilev. It was from the army’s Commander-in-Chief, General Alexeyev. Alexeyev had gotten in touch with the Russian army’s generals and urged them to join him in asking the Tsar to abdicate. None of them dissented. General Brusilov was emphatic that abdication was the only way to save the monarchy and keep Russia in the war, and even the staunchly monarchist General Sakharov in Romania agreed. They knew their soldiers would cease fighting otherwise. The Tsar’s cousin Grand Duke Nicholas, the former Commander-in-Chief, wrote the same thing. At half past two in the afternoon, Alexeyev telegraphed what they had said to Pskov. General Russky at Pskov went to see the Tsar armed with the telegrams. The Tsar looked over the messages for over a few moments; his cousin’s signature made the most impact. Without any discussion, he telegraphed back to Alexeyev: “In the name of the welfare, tranquility and salvation of my warmly beloved Russia I am ready to abdicate from the throne in favour of my son. I request all to serve him faithfully.” So ended the Romanov dynasty’s 300-year rule over Russia. The first Romanov, Tsar Michael, had come to the throne in 1613. In Petrograd, the Duma moved into the Tauride Palace and officially formed the Provisional Government, but the Petrograd Soviet remained in session outside in a blatant challenge. The Tsar had given up his power lightly. Few of the revolutionaries would do the same. -- source link
#nicholas ii