The Romanovs had ruled Russia since 1613. When the last tsar of all, Nicholas II, was appointed to the throne in 1894, there was no hint of the fate that awaited him. Many among the huge crowds that lined the streets for his coronation celebration saw him as their "little father." They believed God had supposedly appointed Nicholas to rule an empire covering about one-sixth of the earth's land area.
In 1894, Russia was at peace. Foreign investors promoted its industrialization. Russia was ranked among the world's greatest powers under the autocracy of the Romanovs.
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