Alexander Protopopov Simulation

Alexander Protopopov was born in Russia in 1866. He was a textile manufacturer and a deputy in the Duma and its vice chairman in 1914.

Alexander Protopopov

1. In public he was highly critical of Nicholas II and the autocracy. However, he is a secret supporter of the Tsar.

2. Claimed he wanted Russia to have universal suffrage.

3. Claimed he wanted the Russian government to allow freedom of expression and an end to political censorship of newspapers and books.

4. Thought Russia should support Serbia against the Triple Alliance.

5. Thought Russia should honour its obligations and support the Triple Entente against the Triple Alliance.

6. As the Russian Army was the largest army in the world he was convinced that Russia would defeat Austria-Hungary and Germany in a war.

Primary Sources

(1) Bernard Pares, a British academic, met several of the leading political figures in Russia during the summer of 1914.

Protopopov was elected to the Duma, and was actually chosen as Vice-President; there he posed as a moderate liberal asking for an extension of parliamentary rights.

Suffering from ill health, which was later to develop into progressive paralysis, he sought the attentions of Rasputin, who put him through a prolonged cure.

Rodzyanko, who was a poor judge of men, took account of him; so also did Guchkov, who regarded him as a man who could get things done. In the Duma, as elsewhere, Protopopov played for popularity, and was this to be considered as a member of the Progressives. Protopopov was in reality not Rodzyanko's man, but Rasputin's.