If tsar Nicolas II had two brain cells, he could have avoided the 1905 revolution, the two 1917 revolutions, the Russo-Japanese war, and World War I. He would have died in his sleep with an intact empire. But then again he would not be the tsar Nicolas II we know.
I love this series but the portrayal of the tsar is a little too harsh for my liking. While he was no visionary he was far from stupid. He was hard working and loyal and a great ally for Britain France and Italy. (Maybe too unselfish in that regard) I’m not sure about Russo Japanese war and 1905 but World War I and the revolution would have been beyond most leaders to avoid. In fact 1917 was a massive betrayal. He wasn’t a great general but when he took over the command in 1915 personally he worked diligently and used his personal style to turn things around. In 1917 Russia was quite ready, as attested by Churchill’s memoirs. Austria might have been knocked out a year earlier which would have meant curtains for Germany as well. The revolution therefore was a massive betrayal. The royal family were plagued by a negative publicity campaign on account of the Tsarina and Rasputin which was made much worse when the aristocracy (who hated Nicholas and his family) murdered Rasputin. Had he not been betrayed and won the war he would be probably known as Nicholas the great! We also might have been spared Lenin Stalin Hitler etc.
