This year marks 105 years since the death of the Prime Minister of pre-revolutionary Russia Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin, 100 years since the so-called Brusilov breakthrough and, finally, 100 years since the murder of the famous "holy devil" Grigory Rasputin … These three events were fatally connected among themselves, possibly changing the fate of Russia …
Rasputin and Stolypin
Rasputin, finding himself at the imperial court in 1905, quickly gained enormous influence on the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, and through her, on the Emperor Nicholas II. It is unclear what played a role here - Rasputin's magical abilities, his hypnotic gift or ability to predict the future …
There are opinions that if PA Stolypin remained alive, the history of Russia could have taken a different path, and there would have been no revolution of 1917. Indeed, the prime minister actively pursued progressive reforms and also pursued a tough policy against revolutionary terrorists.
By the way, Stolypin did not like Rasputin and tried to avoid him. Stolypin's daughter Maria Bok somehow started a conversation with her father about Rasputin's growing influence on the royal family, he winced and said that nothing could be done here …
Stolypin also repeatedly started a conversation with the emperor himself that it was unacceptable to keep a semi-literate man with a dubious reputation in his immediate circle. To which he replied: "I agree with you, Pyotr Arkadyevich, but let it be better ten Rasputins than one empress's hysterics."
At the beginning of 1911, the prime minister presented to the monarch an extensive report on Rasputin, drawn up on the basis of the investigative materials of the Synod.
Promotional video:
At the end of August 1911, the emperor with his family and entourage, including Stolypin, left for Kiev on the occasion of the inauguration of the monument to Alexander II. On September 1 (14), Nicholas II and Stolypin were at the Kiev City Opera House for the play "The Tale of Tsar Saltan". At this time, the secret informant of the security department Dmitry Bogrov, who had a pass issued by the head of the Kiev secret police, went into the theater, made his way to Stolypin and fired twice, wounding him in the arm and in the stomach. The liver was affected. Stolypin, having crossed Nicholas twice, sank heavily into a chair with the words: "Happy to die for the Tsar" …
The assassination of the prime minister led to rumors that his death had been predicted by Rasputin. Rasputin himself not only did not refute these rumors, but also claimed that he had predicted Stolypin's death seven days before her. There are new rumors that Rasputin is somehow connected with this crime …
It is believed that if it were not for Stolypin's death, Russia would not have got involved in the First World War or would not have suffered such losses in it.
Brusilov "breakthrough"
So, Russia entered the war in 1914, and in the spring of 1916 General A. A. Brusilov developed a plan for an operation on the Southwestern Front, which was named in honor of him the Brusilov Offensive.
The general decided to make one breakthrough at the front with the help of each of his four armies. Although this to some extent scattered the forces of the Russian troops, the enemy also lost the opportunity to transfer reserves in a timely manner in order to direct the main blow. Four Austro-Hungarian armies and one German opposed the Russians.
On May 11, 1916, Brusilov received a telegram from General M. V. Alekseev, Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command Headquarters, in which, on behalf of Nicholas II, who held this post, the question was raised about the possibility of an offensive in the near future due to the need to pull off part of the enemy's forces from the Italian front.
Brusilov responded by announcing the readiness of all the armies of the front for the offensive on May 19, provided that the Western Front under the command of AE Evert would simultaneously launch the offensive. In a subsequent conversation on a direct line, MV Alekseev said that A. Ye. Evert would be able to launch an offensive only on June 1, while the date for the offensive of A. A. Brusilov's armies was agreed on May 22.
On the evening of May 21, General Alekseev told Brusilov that Nicholas II wanted to change the offensive plan prepared by A. A. Brusilov and wanted to arrange it only in one strike sector, moving the previously agreed date of the offensive by several days ahead. This statement was made, of course, under the influence of Alexandra Feodorovna, who, in turn, was "advised" by Rasputin …
Although there were successful offensives in some sectors of the front, there was no global breakthrough, and the Russians suffered huge losses.
The end of the "holy devil"
Rasputin, the "chief consultant" of the emperor and empress, as you know, was killed on December 17, 1916 by four conspirators - Prince Felix Yusupov, Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich, State Duma deputy D. A. Purishkevich and doctor Stanislav Lazovert. They wanted to prevent the death of Russia. But, it turns out, on the contrary, they brought it closer … Or did the February revolution, which followed the death of Rasputin, become a mere coincidence? Could Rasputin keep the state from falling if he remained alive? Or would it have happened sooner or later? Alas, we can only build speculation and guesswork …