Question by mannon: What was Rasputin’s role in the downfall of Russian?
royalty?
Was he a key figure in bringing about the (first) revolution?
Answers and Views:
Answer by Feisty
Read about him:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/is.html
Read all the answers in the comments.
Give your own answer to this question!
Delin Colón says
Much of what has been said here is more myth than truth. Having read over 100 books on Rasputin – and quite a few others on Russian History, and being the author of a new book on Amazon: "Rasputin and The Jews: A Reversal of History", I can tell you that he had nothing to do with the downfall of the Tsar. There had also been an earlier revolution, in 1905, before Rasputin was known to the Tsar. Tsar Nicholas II was a weak-willed, indecisive man who never wanted to be Tsar. His opinions and decisions depended on who he spoke to last.
The Russian people, not including the aristocracy, were fed up with poor working conditions, starvation, being bullied by the police and government, and oppression. In the case of the Jews, who Russian royalty had been trying to eradicate for years, they were restricted to living in a ghetto called The Pale of Settlement, were denied educations, occupations and the freedom to live where they wanted. In addition, the Tsar (like those before him) sanctioned regular raids, called 'pogroms', where they would slaughter and torture entire villages of Jews.
Rasputin tried to help the Jews, peasants and other minorities who were persecuted but Russian nobility was very anti-Semitic and, hating Jews as fiercely as they did, especially one who tried to get Jews equal rights, they spread many vicious rumors about him – especially with regard to women (he never raped a nun – nor is there evidence of him raping anyone). They hoped to discredit him in the eyes of the Tsar. (By the way, they DID know that the tsarevitch had hemophilia – they just didn't tell anyone else in the Russian Court. And Rasputin was very helpful in easing the symptoms.)
The Romanovs had a lot of blood on their hands. Rasputin never harmed nor killed anyone – in fact his efforts for equal rights and to end the war with Germany were just too progressive for his time.
The downfall of the Tsar was caused by the Tsar himself and would have occurred had Rasputin never existed. The people were hungry and sick of the oppression and persecution. That was the cause of the Revolution of 1917 (as well as the one in 1905).
Read about it all in my book, "Rasputin and The Jews: A Reversal of History", available on Amazon.
RAVEN says
Rasputin became a widely known character in Russian social circles, and was a big believer in the occult, and had a fair amount of medical knowledge as well. He became what we would call a celebrity today as a mystic and faith healer, even a prophet. A lot like 900 phone number TV Psychics of today.
His turning point in becoming an adviser to the Tsar's family occurred when their son Alexei became very ill. The royal physicians could not heal him. Rasputin, called upon to help the boy whenever he was sick, helped enough that each time he was involved the boy got better. It was not known at the time that he was a hemophiliac. How Rasputin did anything is of constant debate – but what is important is that it is those actions which led him to become a trusted adviser to the Romanovs.
His eventual increase in government meddling and sexual encounters (including the rape of a nun) and further influence over the Romanovs helped hasten the decline of the Russian economy, and many blamed both Rasputin for his part, and the Romanovs for letting him influence them. Rasputin was ultimately assassinated (which took a lot of effort, I might add), and later of course the entire Romanov family was also killed.
There was much speculation for many years that some of the Romanov children had survived the massacre, but several years ago their bodies were found by a team in Russia, and authenticated by forensic experts. The case was part of an HBO "Autopsy" episode last year.
Delin Colón says
Actually, Rasputin was against occultism and spiritism, as a staunch follower of Christ, and warned others against these practices.
The royal family knew the tsarevitch had hemophilia – Alexandra even knew that it had been passed to him through her. They simply didn't let anyone else know about it, as he was heir to the throne, and it wouldn't do for such a weakness to be exposed.
Rasputin had nothing to do with the fall of the economy – that was entirely on the shoulders of the weak-willed and indecisive Tsar. Also, the fall of the economy had a lot to do with the war, which Rasputin had advised AGAINST getting involved in. His "meddling" in the government had to do with him suggesting potential cabinet members who were against war and for equal rights for Jews . Really horrible of him, wasn't it? Rasputin didn't have the influence over the Tsar that people thought he did. If he had, they wouldn't have gotten involved in war and the Jews (as well as other minorities) would have been given equal rights – and the senseless slaughter of the poor by the rich would have stopped – AND all of Rasputin's suggestions might well have avoided the revolution.
Box Monkey says
Rasputin added fuel to the discontent with the tsar because of constant rumors about his sexual exploits within the royal family and a popular perception that he was manipulating Nicholas to the extent of becoming the true ruler of Russia.Bolshevik propaganda took full advantage of these rumors.