the worthless remain.... If it were not for the war I would resign too. If
I should leave what would not they do with the army? Do I not understand
that Sturmer and Company are thinking only of an alliance with Germany? ...
The home situation is serious. They [ministers] are purposely instigating
hunger disturbances in order to provoke a revolution so as to have an
excuse for breaking away from the Allies and end the war. Our army is now
in condition to crush Germany and without that there can be no real peace
in Europe. But a permanent peace is not wanted by Sturmer and Protopopov,
they wish to keep the people under the heel of a strong Germany. Apart from
the Germans no one will protect them from the revolution. The pity of it
all is that at the head of the government there still are men who are
interested in crushing the people.]

[Footnote: Princess Vasilchikov, a prominent court lady, became convinced
that the Empress and her ministers were ruining the country and therefore
wrote her a courteous letter, pleading with her to save Russia. For her
pains she received an order to retire to her estate, and her husband, who
held a very prominent position, left the capital with her. (_Novoe
Vremia_, March 11-24, 1917.)]

Members of the royal family and the grand dukes urged the Tsar to change
his course and not ruin the country and the dynasty but he, drugged by Dr.
Badmaev and duped by Rasputin, Protopopov and Company, sent them all out
of the capital with orders not to return until sent for. They became so
desperate that they murdered Rasputin but the Empress remained and the
government policy became more reactionary than ever and as Prince Iusupov
said the country was drifting to destruction or to a state of anarchy. It
was quite evident that the only way to save the country was through a
revolution and it was merely a question whether it would come first from
the top or from the bottom and when.