In The Last Tsar, Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, professor emeritus in history at the University of Santa Barbara, illuminates in exhaustive detail the abdication of Tsar Nicolas II in 1917, ending 300 years of Romanov rule. Arguing that it has "never been examined closely," he delves into the drama surrounding the abdication, as well as the lesser-known infighting among Russia's aristocratic, military, and political elite.
Hasegawa cites the usual flaws in the tsar's character that led to the Romanov downfall--his "archaic notion of autocracy" and "mythical understanding of the Russian state"--but then itemizes the "roads not taken" by Nicholas and his closest advisers to grant reforms that might have saved the monarchy. With the help of a trove of new archival information, Hasegawa calls out the actions of the Duma liberals and the military high command, two separate groups who unwittingly added fuel to the abdication fire. Although they weren't coordinated, their movements triggered a "dazzling sequence of toppling dominoes."
Hasegawa's tense, page-turning narrative captures the uncertainty and confusion reigning in the Alexander Palace of Tsarskoe Selo and the rising revolutionary fervor in Petrograd that Nicholas and Alexandra both fatally misunderstood. A critical addition to Romanov studies, The Last Tsar will be best appreciated by readers possessing some familiarity on the topic, as the overwhelming number of officials and members of royalty who appear throughout is daunting even for specialists. Still, this is an enthralling and original portrait of the abdication crisis, ripe with critical analysis. --Peggy Kurkowski, book reviewer and copywriter in Denver