[dfwgator]

Nicholas’ “sin” was losing to Japan in 1905, that set the wheels into motion.

[Aliska]

And Jacob Schiff and his Friends of Russian Freedom in the United States along with some in Great Britain helped finance Japan winning on that front. It's a fact of history that has been repressed to a large extent but it was reported by the NYT in 1917. There is more out there on the web, but one has to be careful with objectivity which can be difficult.

The rest of it is complicated with Alexis, the only direct male heir to the throne and inheriting from Queen Victoria the genetic disease of hemophilia. And Alexxandra turning to Rasputin who had some occultic powers or suggestive or whatever it was. That became a source of hatred by many. Alexandra's sister was brutally shot in a pit. She had become a nun and was a martyr and saint, too.