Into the Shadows: Tragedies of the Last Monarchs of Russia and Germany (Controversial Issues of Historiography)

Abstract

The fates of the last Emperors of Russia and Germany are forever linked by the First World War and the revolutions. History knows the circumstances of their abdication; however, their motives still remain a matter of debate. The present research featured a comparative analysis of various points of view on the roles Nicholas II and Wilhelm II played in the revolutions and the political decisions they made. The biographical research clarified the general characteristics of the revolutionary processes that occurred during their reign and how both revolutions affected the institution of monarchy. The authors analyzed the contemporary historiographical discussions of the monarchy and the revolutions caused in both countries by the consequences of the First World War. The article also focuses on the role of social, class, and political groups in both revolutions, as well as on the attempts of monarchists to save the emperors. Tsar Nicholas II and Kaiser Wilhelm II lived in a very similar political context: complicated family ties, rapid economic development, the Great War, etc. Their abdications occurred in similar circumstances and had similar motives and socio-political consequences. However, their further destinies were very different.