Who Was Rasputin?
Rasputin was a leading figure of the Russian Revolution, he was an advisor to the ruling monarch of Russia at the time, Tsar Nichols II. Then, when Tsar Nichols II was fighting in World War I, Rasputin grew in influence over the monarchy. In effect, Rasputin was ruling Russia with the Tsarina Alexandra (the Tsars wife), while Tsar Nichols II was off fighting in World War II.
Why Is Rasputin Well Known?
Rasputin became well known over his grip over Russia, and his grip over Tsarina Alexandra. He proclaimed to be a religious healer, though, that’s debatable.
Rasputin claimed to heal the Tsarina and Tsar’s young son, Alexis. There are different theories about his real ‘powers’, with some arguing that Rasputin was just a charlatan, while others have argued that Rasputin had healing powers. Rasputin is thought to have healed Alexis, though, this is debatable. There could have been other reasons why Alexis was healed. Alexis being healed resulted in Rasputin gaining favour with the Russian royal family, especially the Tsarina. It’s apparent that both the Tsarina was close with the monk, which has resulted in speculation that their relationship was more than just platonic.
This eventually lead to his downfall. The Russian aristocracy became increasingly angry at their close relationship. They believed that the relationship was putting the Russian royal family in jeopardy, they were right. However, by the time anything was done about him, it was far too later.
His assassination took place on the 30th of December 1916. He was took to the basement of the Yusupov Palace during the early morning hours of the 30th of December 1916. He was given food which was laced with cyanide; it didn’t kill him. Then, he was shot; that didn’t kill him either. He was believed to have been dead at this point, however, he jumped up and attacked his attackers. He was shot again; this shot is believed to have finally killed him. Though, some claim that he was still alive when he was thrown into the river. Assassinating him didn’t save the Russian royal family. A few weeks later, the February Revolution broke out in 1917. This was the first of two revolutions in Russia during that year, the other revolution happened in October and became known as the October Revolution.
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An Introduction To The Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was one of the most transformative events in 20th century history and over course European history. It is an event which helped shaped Europe.
The Russian Revolution was actually a series of revolutions in Russia in the early 20th century. The first Russian Revolution of the 20th century happened in 1905. There were two more revolutions in 1917, one in February 1917 and the other revolution happened in October 1917. The first one of 1917, was known as the February revolution. And the later one was known as the October revolution. Whereas, the 1905 Russian Revolution is more infamous for the events of Bloody Sunday. There were several leading causes of the Russian Revolution. All of them contributed to the outbreak of revolution in Russia, but some of these factors contributed more to the revolution than others. The Leading Causes Of The Russian Revolution
These are the main reasons why the Russian Revolutions happened in the early 20th century; starting with the weakness of Tsar Nicholas II.
Tsar Nichols II The weakness of Tsar Nichols II was the leading cause of the Russian Revolution. He was a very ineffective leader, who made a series of disastrous mistakes. These mistakes lead to the downfall of the Romanov Dynasty (the Russian royal family) and the Russian Revolution. The weakness of Tsar Nichols II was not only an instrumental cause of the Russian Revolution, his weakness was the reason why the other leading causes of the Russian Revolution happened. In effect, the Tsar’s leadership, or lack thereof, was thee leading cause of the revolution. World War I and the Russo-Japanese War The Tsar taking Russia into World War I and the Russo-Japanese War, was very unpopular with the Russian people at the time. This didn’t help the Tsar. Russia at the time was already a poor country; in many ways it was medieval, in terms of poverty, compared to the rest of Europe. On top of this, the ruling monarch of Russia took his attention away from his countries internal problems and turned to focusing on getting into conflicting with other countries. The Tsar Taking Control Of The Army Throughout history, Kings have lead their armies into battle, the Tsar didn’t create anything unique. However, his decision to lead the Russian army during World War I was a disaster for him. It was a disaster for two reasons. The first was that through leading the army to failure in World War I, Nichols couldn’t blame anyone else for his war failings – he showed to the world and of course his enemies, that he was an ineffective and weak leader.
Secondly, he left Russia to be run by his wife, Tsarina Alexandra, and the meddling monk, Rasputin. It was a combination of disaster, one which wasn’t popular with the Russian aristocracy. They viewed Rasputin as ruining and ruling Russia, a charlatan and a mystic who was manipulating Alexandra.
The result was Rasputin’s murder, at the hands of the Russian aristocracy. For a brief moment, they thought that they saved the Russian aristocracy. By the time anything was done about Rasputin, it was far too late for the aristocracy to save the aristocracy and the monarchy. Rasputin was murdered by them on the 30th of December 1916, and the February Revolution started on the 8th of March 1917 (the Russians used the Julian calendar at the time, which is why it was known as the February Revolution.). Other Causes Of The Russian Revolution
These were some of the main causes of the Russian Revolution, though, there were many other leading causes of the Russian Revolution. These included the creation of the Duma (Russian parliament) and its failure, Russia’s economic problems and workers rights. All of these things also contributed to the Russian Revolution, which brought down the Romanov Dynasty.
Christmas was a very different occurrence in the middle ages, compared to what it is today. History has shaped how we celebrate Christmas. It has also seen which traditions we have kept, gained and lost throughout history.
Our modern Christmas has only been present in recent history. You can learn about how modern Christmas was created in recent history by the Victorians, in this blog. Christmas in the middle ages was very different to what it is today. There were no glowing electric lights, no Santa Clause, no Christmas Cracker, Christmas cards or even Christmas turkey. It was only with the Victorians did people start eating turkey at Christmas. The medieval Christmas feast was quite different. The medieval Christmas feast was different for poor people in the medieval era and rich people in the medieval era. Poor people in the medieval era weren't allowed to eat the meats that rich people could eat. Whereas, for rich people in the medieval era, they would eat meats such as goose or venison.
Another common food in the medieval era was eating mince pies. Eating mince pies were not what you eat today. In medieval times, people ate mince pies with real meat, along with fruit.
For the poor in medieval times, they would eat what was know as umble pie, which translates into humble pie today. The typical medieval Christmas feast was different for both poor people and rich people, compared to what it is today. Christmas was much more of a religious holiday in this historical era. Things such as mass, carols and going to mass, were the main celebrations. Even at that, Christmas wasn't nearly as important as it is today. It was the Epiphany on the 6th of January, which was the main celebration. This changed later on in the medieval when Christmas became the main celebration. Medieval Christmas decorations were quite limited, to what they were in later historical eras. Medieval Christmas decorations were simple, such as holly, evergreens and placing apples on trees - the latter be outside. It wasn't until the Victorian era that indoor Christmas trees became a part of our celebrations. In many ways, if we travelled back in time to this historical era, the middle ages at Christmas time, we'd probably not really realise it was Christmas. Sources: http://www.historyextra.com/feature/medieval/medieval-christmas-how-was-it-celebrated http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/A-Medieval-Christmas/ On this day in history, the 19th of December 1154,Henry II was crowned at Westminster Abbey. He succeeds the medieval king, King Stephen. Then, Henry II is succeeded by King Richard in 1189. Although King Henry II was crowned king at Westminster Abbey in December, he technically became king on the 25th of October 1154. This is because, throughout history, monarchs have become king or queen, the moment the former king or queen dies. So, the heir to the throne will become king or queen automatically, when a monarch passes. Although, it hasn't always gone that smoothly in history, with their being challenges to the throne. The coronation of a monarch officially gives them that title. Henry II died on the 6th of July 1189 in France. When he died, Richard I became king. Henry II is a lesser-known medieval king, he is overshadowed by his successor, Richard I. Richard I is better known in history for the crusades. He is also known for thelegend of Robin Hood.
The tales of Robin Hood have been passed down through the ages. With Richard battling in the crusades and Robin Hood battling the Sherriff of Nottingham, his reign as king is better known to the world.
Henry's is lesser known. He is known for his invasion of France and the Thomas Beckett controversy. He also had six children with his wife Elenor of Aquitaine.
The murders suddenly stopped, as quickly as it suddenly started. Why Jack the Ripper stopped and what happened to him, remains a mystery to this day. Though, the most popular theories are that Jack the Ripper either died or was committed to a mental institution.
This is a timeline of the Jack the Ripper murders. The 31st of August Mary Ann Nichols is murdered on Bucks Row. The 8th of September Annie Chapman is killed in Hanbury Street. The 30th of September Jack strikes twice in one night, known as the Double Event. First, Elizabeth Stride is killed in Dutfield's Yard. Second, Catherine Eddowes is killed in Mitre Square. The 9th of November Jack strikes one last time. This time he kills Mary Jane Kelly in Miller's Court. These events resulted in the Victorian eras most infamous person and events.
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There was also a difference between the North of England and the South of the UK when it came to poverty and Christmas. The South was and still is, more affluent than the North. This difference was apparent those in the North and South celebrated Christmas. However, poorer areas in the South, such as the East End of London, were more like the North, in terms of poverty and the way that they celebrated Christmas.
For poorer Victorians, it was customary for them to eat things such as rabbit or beef. Whereas, for richer Victorians, they ate things such as swan, pheasant and turkey. It was the Victorians who made turkey a popular dish at Christmas. So, it became more common for both poorer and richer Victorians to eat one food at Christmas - turkey. It wasn't until the end of the Victorian era, that most people were eating turkey. With that gap being closed, in terms of there not being a difference in the main course for Christmas dinner - turkey. In Scotland, Christmas wasn't the main festive celebration, like it was in England. Scotland performed to make Hogmanay the main festive holiday. It was only really at the turn of the century, some years after Queen Victoria's reign, that Christmas became the main holiday in Scotland. With Hogmanay being pushed to second. However, even today, Hogmanay is still a big event in Scotland. Many poor people in the Victorian era, spent their Christmas in the workhouse. This was a place where those who didn't have a home usually lived and worked. The workhouse wasn't a place which was mandatory, people could come and go if they pleased. However, the alternative for people, was to live on the streets. So, they didn't really have much of a choice. The poor living in the workhouse, received a meal of either beef or mutton, with alcohol, cheese and pudding gave to people. However, not all workhouses did this. For many workhouses, the day wasn't given off, it wasn't a special holiday for people and Christmas was virtually non-existent. These things were particularly true in the early Victorian era. The workhouse would be decorated with Christmas decorations. And, the families of those in the workhouse, could visit their relatives every Boxing Day. The Christmas spent in the workhouse, was vastly different from those outside of the workhouse, especially compared to the wealthy. Poorer Victorians couldn't afford Christmas cards when they were first created. The Christmas card was something for richer Victorians, in the early Victorian era. But, as time went on, more and more people could afford Christmas cards. Poor people would also get money and gifts from their employers on Boxing Day. The idea of gift giving was started with the Victorians. Eventually, it was a custom where everyone gave gifts to one another and not just the wealthy. Poorer Victorians would also leave out Christmas stockings for children. These Christmas stockings included things such as; oranges, nuts and apples. It wasn't something that they did until the late Victorian era though. The work of A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, was influential in creating a more altruistic Christmas. Were gifts were given, especially from the rich to the poorer, where the poor were given time off work and where there was more of a celebration surrounding Christmas. Before that, none of this happened. Therefore, Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol, helped shape the Christmas that we see today. Sources: http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/A-Victorian-Christmas/ http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Christmas/
Winston Churchill is perhaps the most iconic British Prime Ministers. When you think about British Prime Ministers, Winston Churchill comes to mind. He stands out and is unmistakable.
There are several things which make Winston Churchill an iconic Prime Minister, the voice, his fight them on the beaches speech, alongside being Prime Minister during World War 2 and his eccentric manner (cabinet meetings in the bath), Winston Churchill stands out. Churchill was really the first media Prime Minister, he is animated by media. Whereas, former leaders, including monarchs, aren't animated to us in the same way. We can only know of them through written texts and sometimes through portraits. It wasn't until the 1950s, when Winston Churchill became PM for the second time. It is during that time, that most people began to have televisions. Before the early 1950s, most people didn't have televisions, which means that most people like PMs and monarchs, were not animated to the general public, or accessible to the general public in the way they are today. Media today is far more instant and available today, than it was back in the 1950s. However, given TV and radio, we know more about Winston Churchill, than other leaders in our past. Let's look at five facts about Winston Churchill. #5 Winston The Artist For anyone that has watched the Netflix series 'The Crown', they will realize that Winston was an artist, as well as PM. Winston was a talented artist, you can see his painting on the National Trust Collections website. He didn't start painting until he was in his 40s. However, if he felt in his lifetime that he missed out on painting, then, he shouldn't have. He created an impressive 500 paintings, over 48 years. Which is an amazing achievement on top of leading Britain through World War 2, then half of the 1950s, and writing. #4 Winston The Writer If you think that that's impressive, on top of that, Churchill was also a writer. He wrote numerous things on both fiction and non-fiction during his lifetime. His first non-fiction book was called The Story of The ManklandField Force, which was published in 1898. It is 298 pages long. He didn't only write non-fiction books, Churchill also wrote fiction books. His first fiction book was called Savrola, and was published in 1900. It is 345 pages long. On top of this, Churchill was also a historian, writing non-fiction history works. #3 Twice Prime Minister Winston Churchill became Prime Minister twice. Not in the way that he won one term and then won another term. He won one term on the 10th of May 1940 and then was voted out in 1945. Then, he was voted back in again on the 26th of October 1951 and finally voted out on the 6th of April 1955. #2 Served Under Six Monarchs Winston Churchill served under an impressive 6 monarchs during his political career. Today, the vast majority of Britons have only ever known one monarch - Queen Elizabeth II. Monarchs haven't always lasted that long and the monarchy hasn't always been that stable. Here is a list of the six monarchs Winston Churchill served under: Queen Victoria, Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, George VI and our current queen, Queen Elizabeth II.
#1 Dogs And Cats
He got dogs and cats spot on. Churchill said that 'Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us.' Which is a pretty spot on assessment of cats and dogs. It's not that he didn't like cats - he did. He had a rescue cat and can be seen clapping this cat... |
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