Nicholas II, Abdication Manifesto; Grand Duke Mikhail, Declaration From The Throne

Ball uniform and ceremonial helmet of Nicholas II.

The death rattle of the Imperial era began on 12 March, 1917, when the top portion of the government essentially dissolved. Though formally speaking Russia still had a Tsar, Nicholas II had declared his intention to renounce the throne. He stayed at the Army Headquarters in Mogilev until 13 March, when he left by train for Petrograd. He never got there, diverting his entourage instead to the Northern Front Headquarters at Pskov. Consultations there with his uncle (Grand Duke Nicholas) and with other military leaders persuaded him to abdicate in favor of his son Aleksei, with his brother Grand Duke Michael acting as regent. Nicholas signed papers to this effect on the afternoon of 15 March. That evening, he changed his mind regarding the succession and abdicated in favor of his brother. The Abdication Manifesto below reflects the latter, final decision. For his part, Michael was extremely reluctant to assume the throne without a guarantee of support from the Russian people. Since none was forthcoming, the 300-year-old Romanov dynasty quietly lapsed. In this narrow sense, the institution of tsardom ended not with a bang (as T. S. Eliot might have said) but with a wimp-out.

1. Why does Nicholas declare that he is renouncing the throne in favor of his brother?

2. What does Nicholas call upon his successor to do, and how does he wish the Russian people to respond to the change?

3. Why does Grand Duke Michael equivocate rather than accept the throne outright?

4. Had Nicholas and/or Michael handled the abdication differently (e.g. had power been turned over to Aleksei, or had Michael embraced the opportunity to rule), would matters have turned out any differently? Why or why not? What would you have done in Nicholas' place?

Nicholas II, Abdication Manifesto

March 15, 1917

By the Grace of God, We, Nicholas II, Emperor of All the Russias, Tsar of Poland, Grand Duke of Finland, and so forth, to all our faithful subjects be it known:

In the days of a great struggle against a foreign enemy who has been endeavouring for three years to enslave our country, it pleased God to send Russia a further painful trial.

Internal troubles threatened to have a fatal effect on the further progress of this obstinate war. The destinies of Russia, the honour of her heroic Army, the happiness of the people, and the whole future of our beloved country demand that the war should be conducted at all costs to a victorious end.

The cruel enemy is making his last efforts and the moment is near when our valiant Army, in concert with our glorious Allies, will finally overthrow the enemy.

In these decisive days in the life of Russia we have thought that we owed to our people the close union and organization of all its forces for the realization of a rapid victory; for which reason, in agreement with the Imperial Duma, we have recognized that it is for the good of the country that we should abdicate the Crown of the Russian State and lay down the Supreme Power.

Not wishing to separate ourselves from our beloved son, we bequeath our heritage to our brother, the Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, with our blessing for the future of the Throne of the Russian State.

We bequeath it our brother to govern in full union with the national representatives sitting in the Legislative Institutions, and to take his inviolable oath to them in the name of our well-beloved country.

We call upon all faithful sons of our native land to fulfil their sacred and patriotic duty of obeying the Tsar at the painful moment of national trial and to aid them, together with the representatives of the nation, to conduct the Russian State in the way of prosperity and glory.

May God help Russia.

Grand Duke Mikhail, Declaration From The Throne

March 16, 1917

A heavy task has been entrusted to me by the will of my brother, who has given me the Imperial Throne at a time of unprecedented war and domestic strife.

Animated by the same feelings as the entire nation - namely, that the welfare of the country overshadows all other interests - I am firmly resolved to accept the Supreme Power only if this should be the desire of our great people, which must, by means of a plebiscite, through their representatives in the Constituent Assembly, establish the form of government and the new fundamental law of the Russian State.

Invoking God's blessing, I therefore request all citizens of Russia to obey the Provisional Government, set up on the initiative of the Duma and invested with plenary powers, until, within as short a time as possible, the Constituent Assembly, elected on a basis of universal, equal, and secret suffrage, shall express the will of the nation regarding the form of government to be adopted.

Source: The Times (London), 19 March 1917.