- Study Sources D and E.
Source D must be reliable because it’s an eyewitness account. Do you agree?
Although Source D is an eyewitness account, the Whites most likely tortured Medvedev so they could gain support from foreign governments. Despite this, the description he gives of the event is in a lot of detail, possibly meaning he’s speaking the truth as he remembers it very well. Looking at the sources content, what he says agrees with Source C. This could possibly be a bad thing, as it agrees with Sokolov’s investigation for the Whites, and the Whites would want to prove his findings correct by torturing Medvedev. Although this is a possibility, I believe Medvedev is telling the truth, as his description of the event is true in saying they were all murdered. But by making reference to Source E, it is clear that there are some problems with Medvedev’s account. According to Source E, Medvedev’s wife tells the investigators that Medvedev was in the room during the shooting, and even that he shot the Tsar a few times. This is different to what Medvedev told the White’s, as he claimed he was out of the room and had not committed any of the murders. And Medvedev is more likely to tell the truth to his wife than the Whites. The reason he lied to the Whites was probably because if he admitted to shooting the Tsar, he would be convicted and most likely executed. So overall I believe that Source D is an unreliable source. Although it contains some truth, as he confesses to the murder of the Tsar and all his family, it simply cannot be trusted as it disagrees with what he said to his wife in Source E. And Medvedev is more likely to tell the truth to his wife than the Whites being a Red.
- Study Sources F, G and H.
Which of these sources is most useful to an historian studying the deaths of the Tsar and his family?
Source F is a piece of primary evidence, and actual photograph of the room in which the murder was claimed to have taken place. Although there is no actual proof that this photograph is taken from the same room, so caution should be taken. Source G is a painting based on an investigation by the Whites. As it is based on a formal investigation, it should be useful, however I know that the Whites main aim of the investigation was to prove that the all of the Romanov family were murdered. It could be considered a piece of propaganda set up by the Whites in order to gain support from foreign governments. It is also difficult from the painting to work out if it is only the Tsar being murdered or not. By close inspection of the painting, I have noticed that the wallpaper and the positioning of the door match that of the photograph in Source F. This could mean one of two things, either the painter visited the scene, or the Whites set up the photograph to coincide with their investigation. Source H is from Sokolov’s investigation into the murder. I know that Sokolov’s investigation was a successful one and is the closest to the truth, and considering that his diagram was made up of eyewitness accounts, it should be considered reliable. But to conclude in answering the question, I believe the most useful Source is the photograph. This is because Source G could be considered biased, and it doesn’t really tell us who apart from the Tsar was murdered. Source H isn’t useful at all, as it tells us nothing about who was murdered and how, just where everyone was standing. Source F however shows the historian that a large number of people were murdered, and how it was done.
- Study Source I
Are you surprised by this source?
I am initially surprised by this source, because the Soviets are claiming that only the Tsar was shot, and that his wife and son are safe. Of course I know that this is a lie because all of the Romanov family were murdered that night. The only sources that seem to agree with this one are the sources on Sergeyev’s investigation. All the others claim that all of the family was murdered. Even Medvedev, who was a Soviet who witnessed the killing and took part in it, admits that all the family were murdered. On the other hand, it is not so surprising that the soviets made this announcement, as they wanted to hide the truth from the Whites, because the Whites would have used the murder against them by gaining more support from foreign governments. The Soviets would also avoid the truth about the murder because at the present time they were in the middle of important negotiations with Germany, and the Empress was German, so if they discovered she was murdered the consequences would be disastrous for them.
Study all the Sources
How far does Source J confirm with what all the other sources said about what happened to the Tsar and his family?
Source J proves that Source A and B based on Sergeyev’s investigation is incorrect. As Source J says that all of the Romanov family were murdered, while A and B say that only the Tsar was murdered. Source B claims that the Empress, the Tsar’s son, and his four daughters left Ekaterinburg via train the following morning, although Source J say that DNA tests positively identified the Empress and three daughters. Source C, an extract from Sokolov’s investigation, closely agrees with Source J. They both say that all of the Tsar’s family was murdered that night, and both agree that the girls were killed with bayonets. Source J also confirms that Sokolov was right in saying that the corpses were carried away by truck, and they were placed in a mineshaft. Although it does not comment on the fact that the bodies were moved from the mine as it says they were completely destroyed. This is understandable though as Sokolov was unable to locate the corpses. Source F, the photograph, confirms that many people must have been murdered, as there are so many bullet holes. It must be noticed that Source J states that two of the Tsar’s children were missing, and one was the heir. The fact that the son is missing agrees with the many sources saying that he was spared and transported away via train the next day. Although it is possible that his body may have been completely destroyed or buried somewhere else. Overall though, it is apparent that Source J confirms what most sources say, especially Source C of Sokolov’s investigation.
