Why did Nicholas II believe in autocracy?
You have to understand that Nicholas’ predecessor Alexander II tried a number of liberal reforms throughout the Russian Empire including emancipating the serfs and reforming the miltary. These caused more problems and he was assainated in 1881. Looking at it from the ruling aristrocy viewpoint they must have thought that his reforms and more lenient rule caused more problems and so his succesor Alexander III ruled harshly and no doubt his son, Nicholas II was brought up with these views on ruling the state. It is a mis-conception to say that Tsarism was unpopular. Most people felt it had a place within Russia. It was the Communists that created that myth. What most people wanted was a Constitutional Monarchy based on the British model as opposed to an absolute ruler. This included free elections, freedom of press and expression. Nicholas himself believed in personal rule but he was also aware that if he did not make concessions than he could be overthrown and throughout 1904 and 1905 h
