Count Sergei Witte and the Twilight of Imperial Russia
Author | : Sidney Harcave |
Publisher | : M.E. Sharpe |
Total Pages | : 342 |
Release | : 2004 |
ISBN-10 | : 0765614227 |
ISBN-13 | : 9780765614223 |
Rating | : 4/5 (27 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: "Witte's spectacular rise during the reign of Alexander III was followed by a more troubled relationship with Nicholas II, who ultimately broke with his premier in 1906. Having negotiated the Portsmouth Treaty that ended the Russo-Japanese War and drafted the October Manifesto that made Russia a constitutional monarchy, Witte had worn out his welcome in the imperial court. He withdrew into an embittered retirement, worked on his memoirs, and spent his last decade - in Bernard Pares's words - "watching a set of fools demolish a mighty empire." This is the first full-scale biography of Witte in English, by the historian who edited and translated Witte's memoirs."--BOOK JACKET.