The Romanov empire was a monarchy (or autocracy), meaning they ruled absolutely over everything. For 300 years, they strongly believed that the ruler held total, unlimited power over the state, the church, and the people—and that this power came directly from God. But this only resulted in a weak and out-of-touch leader. Tsar Nicholas II refused to modernize politically, ignoring growing poverty, industrialization, and calls for reform. When WWI exposed his military incompetence and the people starved, the public didn't see a 'divine father'—they saw a weak, out-of-touch ruler. This grew resentment among the people of Russia. The communists formed a revolution, overthrowing the Romanovs from government and executing everyone in the basement of the house where they were held captive. Princess Anastasia Romanov's body wasn't found initially, and a woman named Anna Anderson claimed to be her, so rumors spread that she escaped. However, DNA testing in 2007 confirmed that she died with her family. This attack helped pave the way for the birth of the communist state, which later became the renowned Soviet Union.
The Romanov empire was a monarchy (or autocracy), meaning they ruled absolutely over everything. For 300 years, they strongly believed that the ruler held total, unlimited power over the state, the church, and the people—and that this power came directly from God. But this only resulted in a weak and out-of-touch leader. Tsar Nicholas II refused to modernize politically, ignoring growing poverty, industrialization, and calls for reform. When WWI exposed his military incompetence and the people starved, the public didn't see a 'divine father'—they saw a weak, out-of-touch ruler. This grew resentment among the people of Russia. The communists formed a revolution, overthrowing the Romanovs from government and executing everyone in the basement of the house where they were held captive. Princess Anastasia Romanov's body wasn't found initially, and a woman named Anna Anderson claimed to be her, so rumors spread that she escaped. However, DNA testing in 2007 confirmed that she died with her family. This attack helped pave the way for the birth of the communist state, which later became the renowned Soviet Union.