Nicholas II (1868-1918), crowned in 1894, was the last Russian emperor. Characterized by some as shy, weak, vacillating, and indecisive, he was nevertheless a stubborn supporter of the right of the sovereign under growing pressure for reform. Discontent at home, plus losses of territory and massive casualties in two wars, precipitated the February Revolution on March 12, 1917. Nicholas II abdicated on March 15, 1917. In April 1918, the Bolshevik government moved him and the Imperial family to Vekaterinburg in the Urals, where they were executed on July 17, 1918, as anti-Bolshevik forces approached the city. Read more about it!

The information in this guide focuses on primary source materials found in the digitized historic newspapers from the digital collection Chronicling America.

The timeline below highlights important dates related to this topic and a section of this guide provides some suggested search strategies for further research in the collection.