Giving the raspberry to Rasputin

Foolish item. Rasputin didn’t compromise the monarchy, nor cause the downfall of the Romanov empire, beyond being a convenient scapegoat. At the time, he actually played a surprisingly small role in history. This is a complex issue, complicated by the jealousy of the Russian elite (including clergy)who found it incomprehensible that the royal family would permit this ordinary peasant into the “inner circle” of the palace. Nicholas and Alexandra had to keep the medical condition of the czarevitch as secret as possible, and without being able to explain that, they couldn’t explain why this peasant was periodically called into the palace. Lacking an explanation, people invented their own versions of the reasons, from claiming that Alexandra and Rasputin were lovers to claiming that Rasputin had some magical power over the czar. Some believe Rasputin—the real man, not the lurid, maniacal character–was a saint. Many more believe he was a holy martyr, a man who was, like the rest of us, subject to sin, but who also had an unwaivering faith in God, and recognized the real role he had at that time in history. Not only did he ease the suffering of the czarevitch and strengthen the faith of so many, but he willingly allowed himself to be a scapegoat, deflecting criticism from the royal family.
So did he cause the revolution? No, that’s a very naive conclusion. The war (which Rasputin opposed, although he supported the czar once Nicholas made the decision to go to war)destroyed Russia’s economy. As poverty increased, resentment against the wealthy increased, royalty represented wealth, this turned to violence and, before long, revolution. That’s an over-simplification, of course. But the downfall of the Romanov empire can be summed up by borrowing a phrase from the former president, Bill Clinton: “It’s the economy, stupid!”