Last of the Romanovs: Why Nicholas II Abdicated

On 15 March 1917, amid the chaos and fury of the Russian Revolution, Tsar Nicholas II, Emperor of all Russia, abdicated from the throne and ended 300 years of Romanov rule. Russians of all classes were on the streets of Petrograd (formerly known as St Petersburg), and Nicholas' own military had joined the ranks of protestors. How did this monarch fall and a dynasty end? On the anniversary of Tsar Nicholas' abdication, we will take a look through the British Newspaper Archive at the key events of Nicholas' reign to understand how the imperial family fell to revolution. During his 23 years as Tsar, Russia endured devastating defeats in both the Russo-Japanese War and First World War, all while the Russian people grew restless of food and fuel shortages and craved a democratic government.