Paired Texts > Russia's Last Czar, Nicholas II

by Mike Kubic 2016

We've identified these texts as great options for text pairings based on similar themes, literary devices, topic, or writing style. Supplement your lesson with one or more of these options and challenge students to compare and contrast the texts. To assign a paired text, click on the text to go to its page and click the "Assign Text" button there.

Stalin: A Brutal Legacy Uncovered
Stalin: A Brutal Legacy Uncovered
Mike Kubic

In "Stalin: A Brutal Legacy Uncovered," this informational text provides insight into the historical rise of Joseph Stalin, one of the most brutal tyrants in Soviet and world history, detailing the purges and other such tragedies of his bloody regime.

Pair “Nicholas II, Russia’s Last Czar” with “Stalin: A Brutal Legacy Uncovered” and ask students to discuss the historical context that allowed Lenin and Stalin to come to power after Nicholas II. How would the students compare these three leaders?

11th Grade Informational Text 1380L
The Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution
Mike Kubic

In "The Russian Revolution," this informational text explores the causes of the 1917 Russian Revolution, which led to the complete upheaval of Russian government and society.

Pair “Russia’s Last Czar, Nicholas II” with “The Russian Revolution” so that students may have a more in-depth understanding of the last imperial ruler of Russia and the conditions which led to the revolution. How did Nicholas II contribute to the social unrest of his own country? How did his faults and/or personality contribute to what would later be considered his own downfall? In the eyes of communists such as Trotsky and Lenin, why did the czar need to be removed?

12th Grade Informational Text 1320L
Excerpt from The Prince
Excerpt from The Prince
Niccoló Machiavelli

Niccoló Machiavelli (1469-1527) was an Italian Renaissance historian, politician, and writer based in Florence. His masterpiece, The Prince, published in 1532, advises new princes on how to get and retain power by any means necessary.

Pair “Excerpt from The Prince” with “Russia’s Last Czar, Nicholas II” and ask students to discuss how Machiavelli’s ideas may be applied to the historical context of the second passage. How was cruelty used to retain power — for both the Romanovs and the revolutionaries? Is this right? When and in what ways did this method fail?

11th Grade Political Theory 1370L
The St. Petersburg Workmen's Petition to the Tsar, January 22, 1905
The St. Petersburg Workmen's Petition to the Tsar, January 22, 1905
George Gapon

In "The St. Petersburg Workmen's Petition to the Tsar, January 22, 1905," George Gapon requests that Nicholas II grant certain rights and protection to citizens in Russia.  

Pair “Russia’s Last Czar” with “The St. Petersburg Workmen’s petition to the Tsar, January 22, 1905” to provide students with additional information about Nicholas II. Ask students to discuss what kind of leader Nicholas II was and why citizens in Russia felt compelled to protest his rule. How did Nicholas II respond to their peaceful protests?

10th Grade Historical Document 1140L