I Was Anastasia: A Novel

A combination of war, famine, and poverty caused widespread social unrest throughout Russia in the early 20th century. In previous centuries, Russia was ruled by a tsar, the equivalent of an emperor. Tsar Nicholas II succeeded his father, Alexander III, in 1894. Workers and farmers struggled in difficult living conditions, and many felt that Nicholas and the aristocratic class were holding back progress that could benefit the common people. In 1905, Russian guards fired on a protest group of unarmed factory workers, an event later called Bloody Sunday. This led to further protests and the movement now referred to as the Revolution of 1905.

Russia entered World War I in 1914 on the side of the Allied forces, along with France and Great Britain, but their military suffered enormous losses. The resulting food shortages weakened the economy further. While Nicholas was away at the front trying to rally soldiers, the tsarina, Alexandra, aided the rise to power of her favorite advisor, the widely hated Grigory Rasputin. A group of Russian nobles revolted and murdered Rasputin due to his perceived influence over the royal family. In what is now called the February Revolution of 1917, protesters in Petrograd (the capital, formerly known as St.