History UsefulNotes / TsaristRussia

** ''Literature/TwentyThousandLeaguesUnderTheSea'''s Captain Nemo was originally supposed to be from UsefulNotes/{{Poland}}, rebelling against the oppressive Russian regime, but as France was an ally of Russia, his publisher made him change it to an [[UsefulNotes/TheRaj Indian noble]] fighting the oppressive English (a perennial AcceptableTarget for the French).

* Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov), aka Nicholas The Martyr, Bloody Nicholas, Saint Nicholas The Passion Bearer and the cousin of George V. Last Emperor of Russia. Presided over UsefulNotes/RomanovsAndRevolutions, was shot (along with his family) and was later made a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000. He continued the trend of Alexander III of reversing Alexander II's liberal reforms, and was first humiliated by Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War. However, his execution by revolutionaries has most colored his legacy, especially when compared to the Soviet rule. Though he is often compared favorably in the West to the Soviets, his rule was definitely not free of oppression and it saw some of the worst pogroms (race riots, mainly against Jews) in Russian history. Arguably the personification of WellDoneSonGuy, having been given very little preparation for ruling the country and always cowed by his much stronger father. Also known for [[UncannyFamilyResemblance looking like a twin brother to]] [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfWindsor his first cousin, King George V of England]].

As the old regime got into costly wars against Japan ([[UsefulNotes/RussoJapaneseWar 1905]]) and the Central Powers ([[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI 1914-1917]]) massive revolts broke out, culminating in the [[UsefulNotes/RomanovsAndRevolutions overthrow of the Tsar]] and the UsefulNotes/RedOctober. And the rest is the matter of [[UsefulNotes/HistoryOfTheUSSR another]] [[UsefulNotes/SovietRussiaUkraineAndSoOn article]].

As the old regime got into costly wars against Japan ([[UsefulNotes/RussoJapaneseWar 1905]]) and the Central Powers ([[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI 1914-1917]]) massive revolts broke out, culminating in the overthrow of the Tsar and the UsefulNotes/RedOctober. And the rest is the matter of [[UsefulNotes/HistoryOfTheUSSR another]] [[UsefulNotes/SovietRussiaUkraineAndSoOn article]].

Note that many Bolshevik and other revolutionaries were actually petty nobles and not urban commoners. Among those were the UsefulNotes/MoscowCentre founder Felix Dzerzhinsky and UsefulNotes/VladimirLenin himself[[note]]To put things into perspective, Dzerszhinsky came from impoverished Polish-Lithuanian nobility, while Lenin's father Ulyanov, was a school teacher and administrator who was ennobled by Alexander III when Lenin was twelve. Ilya Ulyanov's father Nikolay had been a freed serf.[[/note]]. The anarchist Peter Kropotkin was born a prince descended from the Rurikids. There is also a persistent theory that UsefulNotes/JosephStalin was a bastard son of the Polish-Russian noble and famous explorer Przhevalsky (as they show an uncanny likeness).

* Alexander II, known as Alexander the Liberator. A failed reformer. He freed the serfs (see below) established trial by jury, created elected local government bodies, granted universities (limited) freedom of the press and, during the last year of his life, contemplated turning Russia into constitutional monarchy. Unfortunately, the agrarian socialists/anarchists[[note]]Same thing at the time.[[/note]] were afraid that his reforms (especially the whole constitutional monarchy thing) would satisfy or at least appease everyone to their right (which was...pretty much everybody) and sap whatever demand there was for revolutionary change. So they tried to kill him, and eventually succeeded. Alexander II's heir, Alexander III, would end up reversing or scaling down most of the policies his father put in place.

* Alexander II, known as Alexander the Liberator. A failed reformer. He freed the serfs (see below) established trial by jury, created elected local government bodies, granted universities (limited) freedom of the press and, during the last year of his life, contemplated turning Russia into constitutional monarchy. Unfortunately, the anarchists were afraid that his reforms (especially the whole constitutional monarchy thing) would satisfy or at least appease everyone to their right (which was...pretty much everybody) and sap whatever demand there was for revolutionary change. So they tried to kill him, and eventually succeeded. Alexander II's heir, Alexander III, would end up reversing or scaling down most of the policies his father put in place.

* Alexander II, known as Alexander the Liberator. A failed reformer. He freed the serfs (see below) established trial by jury, created elected local government bodies, granted universities (limited) freedom of the press and, during the last year of his life, contemplated turning Russia into constitutional monarchy. Unfortunately, the anarchists were afraid that his reforms (especially the whole constitutional monarchy thing) would satisfy everyone to their right (which was...pretty much everybody) and sap whatever demand there was for revolutionary change. So they tried to kill him, and eventually succeeded. Alexander II's heir, Alexander III, would end up reversing or scaling down most of the policies his father put in place.

* Alexander II, known as Alexander the Liberator. A failed reformer. He freed the serfs (see below) established trial by jury, created elected local government bodies, granted universities (limited) freedom of the press and, during the last year of his life, contemplated turning Russia into constitutional monarchy. Unfortunately, the anarchists thought he didn't go far enough and tried to kill him. They eventually succeeded, and Alexander II's heir, Alexander III, would up reversing or scaling down most of the policies his father put in place.

* Nicholas I, also kknown as Nicholas the Stick. After nearly being overthrown by his generals in the Decembrist Rebellion, he became an extremely reactionary figure, and harshly repressed any liberal ideas that came into Russia. He also crushed Polish and Jewish minorities, and often suppressed liberal ideas abroad, earning him the nickname "The Gendarme of Europe."

AKA the Russian Empire and before that, Czarist Russia. ("Czar" or "Tsar" being a Slavic form of "Caesar"; this title also existed in medieval Bulgaria and Serbia, but was most historically important in Russia.) It was massive in size (sometimes bigger than even the USSR was and at one time reaching as far as northern California) and lasted for about 400 years. Its history is divided into two parts; the Muscovite Tsardom and the Imperial Period.