The Fall of the Tsar

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History Coursework – The Fall of the Tsar

1: Sources A and B both talk about Rasputin and Alexandra but in different ways. Source A talks of Rasputin in a positive way and calls him a “holy man.” Source B talks of him in a negative way.

        Both sources agree that Rasputin definitely has some influence over the Russian Royal Family. However, in source B Rasputin is said to be working with Alexandra as German agents trying to “destroy Russia from within.” Source A only says that Alexandra came under “the hypnotic influence of Rasputin” but it doesn’t suggest any maliciousness from Rasputin. However, from my own knowledge I know that Rasputin was regarded as evil by many.

        Source A seems to suggest that Rasputin has hypnotic powers. Firstly it says that Alexandra came under his hypnotic influence and whenever he was in the presence of Alexis (Alexandra’s haemophiliac son) his bleeding would mysteriously stop and the only explanation seemed to be Rasputin’s “hypnotic powers.” These “powers” could have enabled him to overthrow the Tsar but it never happened and at the end of 1916 he was murdered.

        In all, the sources do agree on the fact that Rasputin had some influence in the household but source B suggests more influence than source A.

2: Neither source C or D disproves sources A and B. Both of these pictures show Rasputin, but in entirely different lights. Source C is showing him as extremely sinister, and obviously close in to the Tsarina. His eyes are dark and narrowed, giving him a suspicious look and his arm is around the Tsarina, almost holding her in. The Tsarina is noticeably oblivious, as is the Tsar with his eyes closed, seeing none of what is going on.

Source D shows a photo of Rasputin ‘surrounded by admirers’, many of these women. This photo was obviously taken to show Rasputin in a good light, and at first glance it would seem so. But with the rumours of his affair with the Tsarina, this might only worsen his image, as he is surrounded by mainly women, and this might just make him look like a womaniser.

I don't think either of these sources disproves sources A and B, because neither is particularly reliable. While both the texts were from a history textbook, and both actually written by the authors well after Tsar Nicholas II's reign, both sources C and D are from the actual period. They are both pictures and both on a subject of great interest, bias and rumours when they were drawn or taken. All this makes the pictures significantly less reliable than A or B.

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They also are not disproving the first sources because they are all trying to get across a similar point. Source A talks about Rasputins 'hypnotic influence' and the Tsarinas high view of him. Source B talks about, again, Rasputins influence, but goes on to say that Rasputin and the Tsarina were German agents, or so it was rumoured at the time.

Source C shows all of these things and more; the dark, suspectable Rasputin, close to the Tsarina, the Tsarinas ease around him, and both the Tsars and her obliviousness.

D shows Rasputin surrounded by women of the court, really ...

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