| Show DYNASTY OF THE first of the czars was chosen by a representative assembly the romanoff dynasty of czars ot which the present emperor of bassia Is a member has ruled the empire since 1613 when michael feodoro romanoff was elected czar by an assembly of representatives tol lowing a national uprising says the new york tribune the previous rulers the descendants of ivan III who threw off the yoke of the mon gols in 1462 became extinct about 1592 and the bounto bad been torn by wars among the nobles and by popular risings against them it was as the champion of the last ot these risings that the romanoff dynasty into power the steady growth ol 01 the russian empire began about that time michael purchased peace from the poles and devoted himself to strengthening the empire but under his son the tern tory given the poles was recovered and his grandson conquered the cos backs and fought the first successful war with the turks another grand son of michael peter the great Is considered in many respects the real founder of the empire as a modern power it was he who introduced into the semi oriental customs of the russians of his day the occidental customs which have been so fruitful a source of trouble ever since under peter the empire wrested territory from the turks poland and sweden and the internal administration of the government as well as its foreign pol icy was placed practically on the footing it now occupies the next period of rapid development in russia came under catherine II 11 1762 96 who ascended the throne after causing the murder of her bus band peter III she furthered the spread of western civilization in the empire enacted laws favorable to the development of commerce and indus try and introduced administrative changeat she was the guiding spirit in the spoliation of poland and fought the turks in two successful wars her son paul I 1 carried on a constant fight with his aristocracy and established the censorship of the press and the secret police he was ing to make war on england when he was assassinated by conspirators alexander I 1 who assumed power in 1801 was a lover of peace and abol dished serfdom in the baltic provinces it was he who fought napoleon and led him into the disastrous invasion of russia the latter years of his reign were less liberal and his son carried on a reactionary policy hie grandson alexander II 11 however proved the most liberal of russia s rulers and while prosecuting the ex of the empire in all directions instituted many internal reforms he abolished the secret police and was said to be about to propose marked changes in the form of government when he was assassinated in 1881 his son alexander III took as ad bisers the extreme reactionaries and autocrats he was succeeded in 1894 by nicholas II 11 the chief feature of whose reign has been the develop ment of asiatic russia |
