From 1896 Tsar Nicholas II has ruled the Russian empire taking over from his late father Alexander 3rd. With social classes still as prominent as ever despite the freeing of peasants in 1861 by Tsar Alexander II (Tsar Nicholas grandfather), the Great Russian empire has a social structure like a pyramid. The Tsar and his government placed at the top and peasants at the bottom.
PEASENTS:
Life as a peasant as we all know is hard. It requires hours on end of work and hardship just to try and provide something for your family. But when 80% of citizens in your country are poor it makes it that that little bit harder. Until 1861 when Tsar Alexander II freed peasants; they had been slaves to their landlords, having no rights, …show more content…
A Tsar is a Russian form of King or Emperor that rules of the country as a whole. Emperor Tsar Nicholas II is the head of Russia 's government and Nobility. Given he is the emperor he lives a rich and luxurious life; owning 15,000 servants and 8 palaces. Nicholas II is known as an autocrat ruler, meaning he doesn’t have to share his power. He can do what he likes without consulting anyone as there is no parliament to limit his power and can sack any minister or adviser who disagrees with him. With a country of nearly 125 million people it is impossible for 1 person to govern and exercise his authority across the whole country. To aid the Tsars in their government they employed 3 major associations: The Church, The Bureaucracy and The Police.
Enforcing the tsarist autocracy requires both ideological and practical measures. Claiming to rule by the ‘divine right’, the tsar acquires his power and authority from God rather than the consent of others. Russians are told to obey the tsar as he is ‘appointed by God’. Not only did the Russian Orthodox Church support the tsarist rule but was supported by it as well. The Tsar who was a religious man consulted with the church’s archbishops regularly. In return the church encouraged Russian citizens to accept and embrace autocracy and taught its followers that it was gods wish to love and obey the