Emperor
The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
Nicholas II
Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until his abdication on 15 March 1917. He married ...
abdicated the throne of the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
on 2 March (
O.S.) / 15 March (
N.S.) 1917, in the midst of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and the
February Revolution
The February Revolution (), known in Soviet historiography as the February Bourgeois Democratic Revolution and sometimes as the March Revolution or February Coup was the first of Russian Revolution, two revolutions which took place in Russia ...
. The Emperor renounced the throne on behalf of himself and his son,
Tsarevich
Tsarevich (, ) was a title given to the sons of tsars. The female equivalent was ''tsarevna''.
Under the 1797 Pauline Laws, Pauline house laws, the title was discontinued and replaced with ''tsesarevich'' for the heir apparent alone. His younger ...
Alexei Nikolaevich, in favor of his brother
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich. The next day the Grand Duke refused to accept the imperial authority, stating that he would accept it only if that was the consensus of democratic action by the
Russian Constituent Assembly
The All Russian Constituent Assembly () was a constituent assembly convened in Russia after the February Revolution of 1917. It met for 13 hours, from 4 p.m. to 5 a.m., , whereupon it was dissolved by the Bolshevik-led All-Russian Central Ex ...
, which shall define the
form of government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a m ...
for Russia. With this decision, the rule of the
300-year-old House of Romanov
The House of Romanov (also transliterated as Romanoff; , ) was the reigning dynasty, imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after Anastasia Romanovna married Ivan the Terrible, the first crowned tsar of all Russi ...
ended.
Power in Russia then passed to the
Russian Provisional Government
The Russian Provisional Government was a provisional government of the Russian Empire and Russian Republic, announced two days before and established immediately after the abdication of Nicholas II on 2 March, O.S. New_Style.html" ;"title="5 ...
, signaling victory for the February Revolution.
The manifesto of abdication
Summary
Nicholas II's abdication statement states that he is renouncing the throne in favour of his brother
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich in order to facilitate the closest union possible so that Russia's war effort would be victorious. Nicholas II calls on the people to fulfill their duty to the fatherland and help guide the Russian Empire on the road to victory. The statement ends with a plea to God to help Russia.
English translation of the manifesto of abdication
See also
*
Abdication of Wilhelm II
*
Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...
*
Russian Provisional Government
The Russian Provisional Government was a provisional government of the Russian Empire and Russian Republic, announced two days before and established immediately after the abdication of Nicholas II on 2 March, O.S. New_Style.html" ;"title="5 ...
References
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Abdication of Nicholas II
1917 in Russia
House of Romanov
Nicholas II of Russia
February Revolution
March 1917 in Europe
Nicholas 2
Politics of the Russian Empire
Dissolution of the Russian Empire
Petrograd in World War I