(1872-1918)
Part 5
The major problem in the city was the shortage of food and fuel. During the first days of March the people sacked the bakeries. On Friday, March 9, thousands of people crowded the streets asking for food and more bakeries were sacked. On Saturday the workers declared on stride and the crowd, now wth flags, shouted "Down with the German woman! Dowb with Protopopov! Down with the war!".
The ministers offered their resignation and begged the Tsar, who was in the headquarters to appoint a mininistery acceptable to the Duma. Nicholas refused and ordered them to submit the rebelion by force if necessary. But there were not soldiers enough to hold the situation. All the men from the Imperialguard had died fighting against the Germans and Austrians and the few survivors were still in the front. The regiments in St.Petersburg (now called by the more Russian name of Petrograd because of the anti-German feeling) were formed only by young recruits. On Sunday 11, General Jabalov prepared to obey the tsar's command with his few men. He had ordered to place posters in the streets saying that all public assembles and meetings would be disperse by force and that workers must return to their jobs the next morning or they would be sent to the front. Nobody attended Jabalov's posters. The crowd full the streets again; the soldiers began to leave the quarters. At 4:30 there were shootings at the Nevsky Prospect and later in other parts of the city. About 200 people were killed that day in Petrograd. Some regiments had refused to shoot agianst the crowd. Soldiers from the Pavlovsk Guard shot against their commander when he insisited them to obey the orders. The next morning, Monday, March 12, several other regiments joined the crowd instead of shooting them. Rodzanko telegraphed Nicholas informing him of the anarchy reigning in the capital and that he government was paralysed. Nicholas ordered him to dissolve the Duma.
The Imperial Cabinet held a meeting and demanded Protopopov to resign. The Tsar's brother, Grand Duke Mijhail telephoned the headquarters to talk with his brother, urging him to appoint a confident government. Nicholas said he was leaving for Tsarkoe Selo. Learning that the Tsar was comming, the Cabinet gave up and the meeting was dissolved. By that night all the ministers were arrested and put under the Duma' protection. On the other hand, the Duma had ignored Nicholas's command and had remained in session. At 1:30 crowds of people arrived a the Duma to offer their support. Kerenski and Rodzianko decided that the Duma must put itself at the head of the government. That same day a rival faction arose, the Soviet of Soldiers' and Workers' Deputies. By the end of the day the Duma and the Soviet, which was a creation of the Duma itself, that needed representatives of the rebel populace, were gathered under the same roof. Rodzianko became the leader of the provisional commmittee but it was th 36-year-old Kerenski who became the link between the Soviet and the Duma. Both factions were convinced that the tsarism had ended and both were fighting for supremacy and power.
When Nicholas arrived to the Pskov station, he was informed by General Ruszki that all the regiments had rebeled and had join the people. The Tsar asked Ruszki to telegraph Rodzianko offering to appoint a ministery that satisfied the Duma. Rodzianko answered that it was too late for that, that a terrible revolution had broken out and that he himself was loosing power. The Duma and the Soviet had formed a Provisional Government, in which Kerenski, as the Soviet's representative, had been appointed Minister of Justice. They were also in agrreement that Nicholas must abdicate in his son's favour, and Grand Duke Mijhail would be regent. Even Grand Duke Nicholas, from the Caucasus, sent a telegram to his cousin begging him to abdicate.
NIcholas was shocked. Nevertheless, he realized that there was no other way than abdication. A form of abdication was prepared and he signed it on March 15 at 3 in the afternoon. After a conversation with Dr. Fiodorov, one of Alexis's doctors, Nicholas realized the dangers Alexis would be exposed to as Tsar. It was much probable that the boy would be taken away from his family. At nine o'clock Nicholas announcd that he would abdicate not on Alexis but on his brother, Grand Duke Mijhail. A new version of the document of abdication was redacted and the Tsar signed it. It excluded from the throne both, Nicholas and Alexis.
Grand Duke Mijhail, who was at Gtachina with his morganatic wife, Natasha, was not prepared for such a chnage in his life. He recieved a telegram form his brother; "To His Majesty The Emperor Mijhail: Recent events have forced me to decide irrevocably to take this extreme step. Forgive me if it grieves you and also for not warning. There was no time. Shall always remain a faithful brother. Now returning to Headquarters where hope to come back shortly to Tsarkoe Selo. Fervently pray god to help you and our country. Nicky". Mijjahil, who was not politiclly insensitive, left Gatchina and went to Petrograd to assume his duty.
Once in Petrograd, he attended the Duma where a debate was taking place. The Soviet had decided that they did not want another Tsar, they wanted a republic. Rodzianko and Kerenski agreed that if another Tsar took the throne against the people will , it would lead to another revolution. Mijhail asked Kerenski if he (Kerenski) would guarantee his (Mijhail's) life if he (Mijhial) accepted the throne. Kerenskin answered: "In any case I cannot guarantee your Highness's life". Mijhail asked for a few minutes to think about. He went out to the next roomand when he returned he said he had decided to abdicate, that he only would accept the throne in case of being invited to do so by a constituent assembly. Afterwards he signed the abdication. The Romanov dinasty had ended after 300 years of ruling.
The next day Alexandra realised that the whole troop had deserted. In the palace, the electricity and water services had been cut off. and she didn't even know ehere her husband was. On Friday 16, rumours of the Tsar's abdication filttered into Tsarkoe Selo. Alexandra refused to believe them. At seven in the evening Grand Duke Paul arrived and confirmed her the terrible news. Alexandra dramatically said: " My poor dear...al alone down there...what he has gone through, oh my God!, what he has gone through. And I was not there to console him".
Meanwhile, Nicholas had rerturned to the headquarters in Moguilev to say goodbye to his troops. Two days after his arrival, he received the visit of his mother, the Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna, who had been shocked by the news of his abdication. Mother and son had a private conversation that lasted two hours, after which, Nicholas's brother in law, Sandro, found the Dowager Empress crying. Marie stayed with her son for three daysand she spent with him almost the whole time. She had lost her usual royal presence and she looked ashamed and miserable.
On March 20 the Provisional Government decided to aprehend the deposed Tsar and his wife. They would be arrested the following day, Nicholas at Moguilev and Alexandra at Tsarkoe Selo. On the 21st. Nicholas learnt that he was going to be taken oprissoner and he had lunch with his mother alone. When the envies of the government arrived to arredst him and Nicholas said goodbye to his mother, the Dowager Empress burst into tears. The Tsar boarded the train and from the window he shook his hand saying goodbye. Empress Marie made the signal of the Cross. Neither she nor her son knew they wouldn't see each other again.
That same day Alexandra was arrested at Tsarkoe Selo. General Kornilov was in charge of carrying away the duty. He informed her that Nicholas had been arrested at Miguilev and that he rchildren would remain under custody at the Alexander Palace in Tsarkoe Selo, until the children's health improved. Then they would be sent to Murmansk where a British cruiser would take them to England. Then, the officers of the guard and the palace suite were dismissed. The guard was replaced by other troops under Captain Kotzebue who was appointed commander of the palace; the palace's entrance were blocked.
The Tsar arrived at Tsarkoe Selo on the morning of March22. He was brought in a car accompanied by Prince Vasili Dolgoruki. When they stopped at the palace's gates, the sentry at the entrance asked who was in the car; when he was told, he announced to the officer inside that it was "Nicholas Romanov". It was a great humiliation for Nicholas to be called like that. The car went into the palace; Nicholas and Dolgoruki got off and went into the antechmaber; it was full of soldiers. As he walked trough the crowd, Nicxholas touched the brim of his cap, returning a salute which was never given to him.
When he met Alexandra upstairs, they both fell into each other's arms. She assured him that he preferred the father and the husband than the Tsar. Nicholas layed his head on her breast and burst into tears. That same day, i the afternoon, Nicholas intended to go out for a walk in the park. Suddenly a soldier blocked his way and ordered him to retrocede. Other six soldiers appeared and wit the butts of their guns pushed Nicholas this way and that. "You can go there", they said, "Stand back when you ar commanded to do so". Nicholas with great dignity turned his way back to the palace. Alexandra, Lili Dehn and Anna Vyrubova, who were watching the scene form the window above, were horrified. Some hours later, after midnight, a band of soldiers sacked Rasputin's grave, which was in a corner of the park, ands exhumating the body they took it to the woods and burned it.
The people who shared the Imperial family's imprissonment were Anna Vyrubova, Lili Dehn, Count Beckendorf, and his wife, Prince Dolgoruki, Baronness Sophie Buxoheveden, Countess Hendrikov, Alexis's Swiss tutor, Pierre Gilliard, the governess Mademoiselle Schnieder, the doctors, Botkin and Dverevenko, and Ngorny, rthe sailor in charge of Alexis. The other sailor, Dverevenko (nothing to do with the doctor), who had devotedly taken care of the boy, saw his chance to escape from a life he appaently hated. Before leaving, tghe sailor took a cruel revange against the innocent boy. Anna Vyrubova related how she saw Dverevenko laying sprawledl on a chair, insolently ordering Alexis to bring him this or that thing. The boy, partillly unknowing what he was doing, obeyed the sailor.
The captives were totally isolated; all the letters that were going in and out the palace were opened and the telephone lines were cut. The soldiers were everywhere. Nicholas and his family were hated among the people. Rumours rang through Petrograd about "Citizen Romanov and his German wife" trying to hand over the country to the Germans. The Soviet demmanded that Nicholas were imprisssoned in the fortress of Peter and Paul. In spite of such dangers, the Provisional Government decided to appoint Alexander Kerenski responsible of the Imperial family's security. He visited the Imperial family on April 3. When he arrived at Tsarkoe Selo he was received by Count Beckendorf. As Nicholas was still having breakfast with his family, Beckendorf, not wanting to interrupt him, took Kerenski in a tour through the palace. Kerenski entered every corner and every room, inspecting everything. He entered Anna Vyrubova's room. Anna was convalescing from measless, and was accompanied by Lili Dehn. kerenski told both women that they were under arrest, and that they would have to go to Petrograd.
Finally he was received by Nicholas and his family. Kerenski was nervouos at his first interview with the Tsar, who was associated withg many bad things in the past. For a man with revolutionary ideas as Kerenski it was not easy to meet the man who had been the "tiranic" autocrat of all the Russias. But he chnaged his mind when he saw the confused and ashamed man Nicholas was. The dethroned Tsar didn't know what to do at Kerenski's presence. Kerenski presented himself and Nicholas shook his hand smiling at him. The Grand Duchesses and Alexis looked him with curiosity. In the other hand, Alexandra was tense and erct, proud and domineering, irreconciliable. Kerenski told them that their relatives abroad were very interested in their welfare. He also told them that they should nort be afraid but trust in the Provisional Government. Afterwards, he and Nicholas left for the next room. The Tsar had recovered his calm. He asked Kerenski about the military situation and whished him good luck in the difficult task he had in his hands. Kerenski assured him that he and his family were safe.
On April 9, Kerenski returned to Tsarkoe Selo to investigate about the treason commited by the Empress and her and her "pro-German activities". He oredered that, during the investigation, Nicholas would live separateld from his wife and children. The investigation was a failure; Kerenski learnt nothing and he finally declared that Alexandra had been always loyal to Russia. As he continued visiting the palace, his relation with the Imperial family improved. Nicholas won his admiration because of his simple manners. By his side, Kerenski won Nicholas' and Alexandra's confidence.
The main worry of the Provisional Government was the safety of teh Tsar and his family. On March 20 the Soviet had demmmanded with shouts the Tsar's execution. Kerenski had replied: "I won't be the Marat of the Russian Revolution. I myself would take the Tsar to Murmansk. The Russian Revolution does not take revange." Murmansk was the door to England where Kerenski wanted to send the Tsar, since Nicholas was first cousin of the Birtish King, George V, The Provisional Government asked the British embassador, Sir George Buchanan, to send a telegram to London, asking for political assylum for the Tsar and his family. The British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, had always disliked the Russian autocracy and was glad to know that the Provisonal Government had overthrown the monarchy. Nevertheless as the request for assylum did not come from the Tsar himslef but from the Provisional Government, which was Great Britain's new ally in the war, Lloyd George agreed to grant it. The only condition was that the Russian government would pay the Imperial family's expenses. The Provisional Government agreed but not the Soviet, which wanted the Tsar to stay in Russia and be improssoned in the fortress of Peter and Paul, judged and executed. In spite of the Soviet's refusal, Kerenski decided to postponed the Tsar's departure to Murmansk. To transfer the Tsar form Tasrkoe Selo to Murmansk meant to go through Petrograd, esposing the family to be assaulted and taken to the fortress or something even worse, so for their security they had to remian at Tsarkoe Selo.
