Was Nicholas II to Blame for His Downfall in March 1917?

Nicholas faced a series of political challenges throughout his reign, many of which were born as a direct consequence of failings or errors on his part. Most significant of these mistakes was his failure to work with the newly created Duma after 1905. Having finally conceded to the existence of a Parliament in his October Manifesto, in an attempt to end the violence and unrest that had followed his disastrous handling of 'Bloody Sunday', the Tsar had a golden opportunity to begin to implement much needed political reform in Russia. However, his unwillingness to concede any of his autocratic power through cooperation with an elected assembly led to the failure of the first three Dumas. This alienation of the middle classes was further compounded by political errors which reduced support for the monarchy from the upper class. Whilst Nicholas can not be blamed for the unlucky coincidence of having a German wife in the period of the First World War, he does deserve a large portion of the blame for leaving her with effective political control of the country in his absence, when he took the decision to assume personal responsibility for the Russian army and went to the front. The Tsarina's inept political handling led directly to further breakdowns between the monarchy and ailing Duma. Furthermore, her over-reliance on the advice of Rasputin, a preacher and herbal healer with a terrible reputation for womanising and scandal, led to many of Russia's lower classes viewing the monarchy not so much with respect, as with scorn and distaste. Nicholas should have been more sensitive to the reactions of his people, but his gratefulness towards Rasputin for the monk's work in healing the Royal Prince's haemophilia, as well as the Tsar's own naivety, meant this disastrous situation was allowed to go unchecked. Being born into power there was no guarantee Nicholas would be well qualified for the considerable political challenge of ruling Russia. Indeed, even his own sister is reputed to have admitted in her diary that he was unfit to reign. Historian H. Rogger went further by suggesting Nicholas has "no knowledge of the world of men, of politics or government." Whilst inherited personal qualities, or lack of them, cannot be blamed on the Tsar, `his series of subsequent blunders and lack of awareness as to the real political situation in Russia most certainly can.