They pointed to his political interference and lurid nocturnal activities as clear evidence that tsarism was rotten to the core. Rasputin was a godsend for socialists and reformists. This ministerial leapfrogging destabilised an already unstable and foundering government. Between September 1915 and February 1917, Russia went through four prime ministers, three war ministers and five interior ministers. Rasputin was likely a factor in Nikolaevich’s dismissal in August 1915.

This made Rasputin very unpopular with military commanders like Nicholas Nikolaevich, who were already curtailing the tsar’s own suggestions. Several examples can be found in the Tsarina’s correspondence to Nicholas, including suggestions on troop movements and attacks on certain locations. Occasionally, Rasputin’s advice even extended to government policy and military strategy. The Siberian preacher would suggest a ministerial sacking or appointment to the Tsarina, who would encourage her husband to endorse it. In most cases, Rasputin did this to curry favour with his benefactors and drinking partners. Rasputin’s most visible impact on the government was his frequent demands for the replacement of ministers. There is no concrete evidence of Alexandra’s treachery but she was undoubtedly a political incompetent who was spellbound by Rasputin and far too willing to accept and implement his advice. Ministerial ‘leap-frogging’ A crude cartoon depicting Rasputin’s hold on the tsarina. Some accused Alexandra of selling Petrograd’s food supplies to the Germans through an intermediary others claimed she kept a radio transmitter under her bed to communicate with the German Kaiser. The German-born queen was already the target of scurrilous rumours about her disloyalty to Russia. Before leaving, he asked Alexandra to manage domestic affairs in his absence. The situation worsened in September 1915 when the Tsar left for the frontline. “All I want is to sleep, sleep forever on your shoulder, in your embrace”. “I kiss your hands and lay my head upon your blessed shoulders”, Alexandra wrote to Rasputin. Rumours of a sexual relationship between Alexandra and Rasputin worsened in 1912 when one of her letters was leaked to the press. This was fodder for the city’s scandal sheets and socialist propagandists. During his regular bar crawls, the Siberian preacher openly boasted that the Tsarina, the throne and the Russian government were in his hands. Rasputin came to exert some influence over Alexandra, particularly after the tsar had left to command the army during World War I. Stopped he certainly was, though not before bringing shame and discredit to the regime.

By 1916, Rasputin appeared to many as a malevolent puppeteer, pulling the strings of the Tsarina, manipulating government ministers and meddling in policy.įor loyalists and conservatives, Rasputin had to be stopped before he toppled the dynasty. That such a character could work his way into Romanov palaces and earn their trust was worrying enough. At night, he crawled the streets of the city, guzzling cheap wine and seeking out sexual conquests.

By day, he served as a spiritual advisor to royals and aristocrats. Rasputin, while charismatic, was a paradox, a holy man in the guise of an unwashed, foul-mouthed peasant. The Romanovs had many religious advisors and attendants, while other royals, aristocrats and members of the upper-class were fascinated with spiritualism and the occult. In early 20th century Russia, still dominated by religion and superstition, men of faith commanded enormous interest and respect. 5 The plot against Rasputin A superstitious culture

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