Nicholas II Alexandrovich was born in Saint Petersburg on May 18, 1868.
He was the eldest son of Alexander III and Empress Maria (the Danish Princess Dagmar). Russia's last emperor, he reigned from 1894 to 1917.
Nicholas II ascended the throne in a time of sweeping change. From the late nineteenth century onward, Russia's industrial system, centered on heavy industry, became more developed. Irreconcilable contradictions arose between its capitalist economy and its rotten, backward political system.
Meanwhile, the wealth gap in Russia widened, countless peasants fell into poverty, and social tensions grew more acute. Faced with these circumstances, he acted to preserve his rule, continuing to suppress dissent at home and expand abroad.
As crown prince, Nicholas had served as chairman of the committee overseeing construction of the Siberian Railway. In 1891, while traveling to Vladivostok to attend the railway's groundbreaking ceremony, he accepted an invitation from the Japanese imperial family to visit Japan along the way. He was attacked at Otsu in what became known as the Otsu Incident.
After the Meiji Restoration, Japan's capitalism developed rapidly, and its national strength grew with it. By the end of the nineteenth century, it had become a major power in Asia.
Japan was then determined to become Asia's hegemon and join the ranks of the world's great powers. Meanwhile, Russia's aggressive expansion in the Far East filled the Japanese government with alarm.
Anti-Russian sentiment ran high among the Japanese people, and organizations such as the Black Dragon Society appeared. Before Nicholas's visit, anti-Russian groups had already begun plotting to assassinate the Russian crown prince.
While visiting Japan, Nicholas was sightseeing on the streets of Tokyo when a Japanese samurai rushed at him and swung his saber.
Fortunately, Nicholas's attendant reacted quickly and shoved him out of the way, saving him from