Question by devil.beans: In the Russian Revolution, why did the Bolshevik government kill the Tsar and his family?
Why did the Bolsheviek government feel the need to kill the Tsar and his family? [the romanovs]
Answers and Views:
Answer by jellybeanchick
Because they had a legitimate claim to the throne of Russia. If they were simply exiled, they could come back later and try to reclaim what they had lost.
I’m not saying it was right. This is just how business has been done in Russia for a long time.
Read all the answers in the comments.
What do you think?
phantomspiderpig333 says
I read that in the Civil War, the Bolsheviks wanted to, originally,put the Tsar on trial instead, but then, the Whites (counter revolutionaries) were approaching Yekaterinburg rapidly (where Tsar was held), so there was a risk that the Whites would restore the Tsar to power, so it was a precaution to keep the Revolution safe
rohak1212 says
With the Tsar's family all dead, there was nobody for the loyalists to rally behind and retake the country. With no legitimate royal line left, there can be no counter revolution.
Also, even with the new regime firmly established the Tsar's family would have been given a certain amount of respect and privilege by the people. And this was antithetical to the Communist ideal.
ChiffonBreath says
Well I came across an interesting analysis.
(a) The Bolsheviks were not legitimate rulers so they had to execute the legitimate ruler.
(b) A trial might have proved the tsar innocent. so he had to be murdered to prevent him coming to trial.
(c) "The banalities of circumstance"…timetables, train schedules
It's not clear if the order to murder the tsar and his family came from the Soviet government or was and "ad hoc verdict by the Urals Bolsheviks.
Nobody wanted to claim responsibility, I think, because the wife of Nicholas II was the favorite grand daughter of Queen Victoria of England. The Royal families of Europe would surely have exacted a revenge if they'd known who to blame.
<edit>
phantomspiderpig333's reading suggests it was the banality of circumstance
llordlloyd says
When a corrupt and incompetent regime is removed, they don't just shrug their shoulders and say: 'well, it was good while it lasted'. All the people and organisations who prospered under them also want to protect their positions.
The Civil War which followed the Revolution was largely fought between Bolsheviks and communists or 'white Russians'. Western countries sent forces, and they were not interested in building a nice, fair system that would bring prosperity to Russia- they would have simply re-installed the monarchy.
It was simply too risky to keep them around.