RASPUTIN

1
YEAR 12 HISTORY
TSARITSA
Examine individual or group identity in an
historical setting
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REVOLUTION IN RUSSIA 2.6 AS 90470 V2

• To achieve with Excellence students must
• Comprehensively explain a range of factors that
  have contributed to the formation of an
  individual (or group identity), and ways the
  identity was expressed, in an historical setting.
  
• Comprehensively explain characteristics of the
  individual (or group identity).
• Structure and organise information and ideas in
  an appropriate and effective essay format (not
  addressed in this presentation).

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3

• CHARACTERISTICS
• FACTORS
• - Language, attitude, beliefs, gender, ethnicity
  and shared experiences
• FACTORS EXPRESSED
• - actions, symbols and aspirations

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Introduction

• Born 1872 as Princess Alice of Hesse-Darmstatd.
• On marriage took name of Alexandra Feodorovna.
• Most of childhood at the English Court .
• Mother died when she was six years old.
• Queen Victoria opposed marriage to Nicholas
• Romanov.
• Five children.
• Tsaritsa opposed her husband ever becoming
  constitutional monarch.
• Had no idea of poverty and deprivation in Russia.
  
• Totally dependent upon Rasputin after 1905.
• Alexandra believed Rasputin would lead her
  husband to peace.
• But it was too late for the royal family.
• Tsar abdicatd in 1917.
• Executed in July 1918 .

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5
Characteristics

1. Strong willed dominating
2. Single minded
3. Loving mother - devoted wife
4. Patriotic
5. Out of touch Sheltered
6. Shy withdrawn
7. Religious
8. Gullible dependent
9. Interfering

Tsaritsa and Alexei.
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Strong willed dominating

• Dominated her weak husband.
• Always wrote him letters in English.
• Exhorted Tsar to be the autocrat and to
  dominate the Duma.
• She believed that the intelligentsia, students
  and the Duma were enemies.

The Tsar and his family.
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7
Single minded

• Single-mindedly devoted to her family.
• Relentlessly pursued the continuation of
  autocracy in Russia for her son.
• She supported her husband to ensure her sons
  legacy.

Son Alexei
Daughter Anastasia
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8
Loving mother - devoted wife

• Nicholas was the love of her life.
• Husband and family were her primary focus.
• She particularly enjoyed family holidays.
• Dedicated to survival of only son
• This led her to take risks that were detrimental
  to the good of Russia. eg supporting Rasputin
• She compromised own health with obsession with
  sons health
• Often used wheelchair.

Above Tsaritsa and below the Tsar in Court dress.
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Patriotic

• German born,
• But fiercely patriotic to Russia.
• Hated the Kaiser.
• She set up hospitals 1914 and
• trained as a nurse.
• German birth caused suspicion
• - calls of down with the German woman.
• Believed Rasputin would lead her husband to
  peace.

The Tsar and daughter Tatiana and Grand Duke
Pavlovich in the war zone 1914.
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10
Out of touch Sheltered

• The Tsarina spoke poor Russian out of touch
  with common people.
• Rasputin told her the peasants loved her and
  only people in St Petersburg hated her.
• Had little to do with daily life in Russia.
• Burned documents after her arrest - seen as
  treasonous

Rasputin (blessing some women).
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11
Shy Withdrawn

• Chronically shy
• Developed blotches on her face
• when stressed.
• Avoided social occasions
• She hated the socialising that was required at
  court
• Her mother-in-laws court grew in importance -
  main topic was Alexandras poor social skills.
• Alexandra - cold with foreign dignitaries
• Only comfortable with close servants and family.

The Tsar s children Grand Duchesses Maria,
Tatiana, Anastasia Andolga and Tsarevich.
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12
Religious

• Born a Protestant.
• On her marriage converted to Russian Orthodox.
• Became almost fanatical about it.
• Loved all aspects of her new religion
• Had over 800 icons in her bedroom.
• Constantly prayed for son.
• But looked for a holy man with direct access to
  God.
• Rasputin became the answer.

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13
Gullible Dependent

• Had consulted with holy men before birth of son.
• Had been exposed to mysticism in her youth.
• She listened to Rasputin
• Would hear no criticism of him
• - even to detriment of royal family or Russia.
• Depended upon the loyalty of a few close
  servants, especially Anna Vyrobova.
• Anna acted as a go-between for Rasputin and the
  Tsaritsa.

Anna Vyrobova Lady in Waiting.
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14
Interfering

• Interfered in politics
• - especially after the birth of her son and
• more so after the death of Peter Stolypin in
  1912.
• Often meddled on the advice of Rasputin, and did
  incalculable harm to both her husband and Russia.
  
• Detested the Duma.
• Persuaded her husband to reject Russia having a
  constitution or elected assembly.
• Supported Tsar as an autocrat.
• Became object of hatred because of meddling
• especially after the Tsar left her in charge
  when he went to lead the troops in 1915.

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15
FACTORS (underlined) AND HOW THEY WERE
EXPRESSED

• FACTORS (language attitude beliefs gender
  ethnicity shared experiences)
• EXPRESSIONS (actions symbols aspirations)
• Born in Germany she was suspected of
  being a German spy although she opened hospitals
  and trained as a nurse during WW1.
• Raised in England.Was much more
  English than German in her demeanour. She
  spoke English at court and wrote in English to
  her husband.
• Believed in Mysticism.she was receptive
  to meeting holy men who may have helped her
  produce an heir to the throne.
• Believed in Rasputin.She considered
  Rasputin to be the very Christ, a saint and
  closer to God than any priest.
• Married to the Tsar of All the Russias..She
  was dedicated to Russia and hated the Kaiser.

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16
Factors Expressed contd

• Believed that Rasputin was leading her husband to
  peace..she had ministers dismissed who
  disagreed with Rasputin and his advice.
• Believed in autocracyalways encouraged
  her husband to be the autocrat.
• Believed that the enemies of autocracy were
  students, intelligentsia and the Duma.she
  interfered vigorously in politics especially
  after 1912
• Had a very ill child..her focus for her
  family and Russia centered around preserving the
  autocracy for her son. She meddled in politics
  and took suspect advice from a man who had many
  enemies.
• Acted treasonously . in 1917 after the
  abdication she burned many valuable and possibly
  incriminating documents.

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17
BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Bulygin, Paul. and Alexander Kerensky. The Murder
  of the Romanovs, Hutchinson, London, 1935.
• Fulop-Miller, Rene. Rasputin The Holy Devil,
  Putnam, London, 1928.
• Moorehead, Alan. The Russian Revolution, Panther,
  London, 1958.
• Wilson, Colin. Rasputin and the Fall of the
  Romanovs, Citadel Press, New Jersey, 1964.

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18
The Tsaritsa is also available as a teaching
poster plusTwo Great New Posters from NZ School
History
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