▁difficult ▁conditions ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁political ▁authority ▁exerc ised ▁through ▁the ▁cler gy . ▁Perhaps ▁more ▁than ▁any ▁other ▁modern ▁monarch , ▁Nicholas ▁II ▁attached ▁his ▁fate ▁and ▁the ▁future ▁of ▁his ▁dynast y ▁to ▁the ▁notion ▁of ▁the ▁r uler ▁as ▁a ▁saint ly ▁and ▁inf al li ble ▁father ▁to ▁his ▁people . ▁ ▁This ▁vision ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ov ▁mon archy ▁left ▁him ▁una ware ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁his ▁country . ▁With ▁a ▁firm ▁belief ▁that ▁his ▁power ▁to ▁rule ▁was ▁granted ▁by ▁Div ine ▁Right , ▁Nicholas ▁assumed ▁that ▁the ▁Russian ▁people ▁were ▁devoted ▁to ▁him ▁with ▁un question ing ▁loyal ty . ▁This ▁iron cl ad ▁belief ▁rendered ▁Nicholas ▁unw illing ▁to ▁allow ▁the ▁progress ive ▁re forms ▁that ▁might ▁have ▁alle vi ated ▁the ▁suffering ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁people . ▁Even ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 9 0 5 ▁Revolution ▁sp ur red ▁the ▁Ts ar ▁to ▁dec ree ▁limited ▁civil ▁rights ▁and ▁dem ocr atic ▁representation , ▁he ▁worked ▁to ▁limit ▁even ▁these ▁libert ies ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁ult imate ▁authority ▁of ▁the ▁crown . ▁ ▁Despite ▁constant ▁opp ression , ▁the ▁desire ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁for ▁dem ocr atic ▁participation ▁in ▁government ▁dec isions ▁was ▁strong . ▁Since ▁the ▁Age ▁of ▁En light en ment , ▁Russian ▁intellect uals ▁had ▁promoted ▁En light en ment ▁ide als ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁dign ity ▁of ▁the ▁individual ▁and ▁the ▁rect itude ▁of ▁dem ocr atic ▁representation . ▁These ▁ide als ▁were ▁champion ed