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At the dawn of the 20th century, the Russian Empire was a colossus. It spanned two continents, ruled over 125 million people, and was led by a Tsar, Nicholas II, who was seen by many of his subjects as a semi-divine figure, appointed by God. Yet, within two decades, this seemingly invincible empire would be a smouldering ruin, and the Tsar and his family would be dead in a cellar. How did this happen? The answer is that beneath the gilded surface, the Tsarist regime was facing a perfect storm of profound, interlocking challenges that it was fundamentally incapable of…