Aside
from the reason already given for the desire of a separate peace, the
other reason for the action of the ministry was this: It feared that the
revolutionary movement, if permitted to take its natural course, would
develop such strength that it could not be put down when it broke out, and,
therefore, the Minister of the Interior decided to take it in hand and at
the right moment crush it with such force that it would be a long time
before it could raise its head again. Before it was over he hoped to
drag in prominent members of the Duma (or the Duma itself) and other
revolutionary leaders, and make an end of them. This plan need not astonish
us, for this method, in one form or another, had been made use of by the
autocracy time and again. Protopopov overreached himself, his scheme
miscarried, the soldiers about the capital went back on him, and the little
comedy that he had staged in which he was to play the leading part became
a tragedy and the shot which was intended for the revolution hit his royal
master and brought autocracy to the ground. In view of the fact that
Protopopov has since become insane, one wonders whether the man was
mentally well balanced at the time that he was in office. But the Tsar has
only himself to blame for his plight; he was warned against this nominee of
Rasputin, but he would not take advice.
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