Could the Russian empire have survived if Nicky wasn't so incompetent, untrained and lazy?
Probably
Possibly, but why should it have?
The real question is should've it survive?
It has only taken a big civil war, half a decade of near-anarchy and several million dead, but the revolutions turned out pretty good at finally casting off all the medieval shit that was holding Russia back and helping the nation begin to realize its potential.
>>888332
I will agree that he was untrained and fairly incompetent, but he was by no means lazy. He was the steward of the nation for the time being. He was not meant to be emperor and kind of accidentally ended up there. He was not meant to be a great leader. That was Alexei or his son's job. But unfortunately we never got to see that, did we?
In short, very much so.
>>888349
Yes. It should have.
>>888353
>but he was by no means lazy.
>Hear of Russian defeat in the Japanese war
>Fuck off, I'm playing tennis
>I'll handle this later
>>888332
Yes, but then we wouldn't have Stalin and gulag memes now would we.
It's also Rasputin's fault for being such a bloody faggot and 'advising' Nicholas to do stupid shit
>>888332
I'd like to think many monarchies could have survived had they modernised democratised like so many that still survive in Europe
>>888332
> Could the Russian empire have survived if Nicky wasn't so incompetent, untrained and lazy?
Yeah. It still needed major reforms that almost definitely would've triggered a Civil War, but monarchy could've survived this war.
Either way, the real question is "Could the Empire survive WWII?" The answer is - no.
>>888353
> but he was by no means lazy.
Nope. He was lazy.
>>889531
> Yes, but then we wouldn't have Stalin and gulag memes now would we.
What makes you think that? Stalin could've become prime minister.
Okay, that's unlikely, but the Czar would've needed support for his reforms and no "proper" reformist parties were interested in keeping monarchy alive. Only commies didn't really care about presence or absence of the Czar - they wanted economical reforms primarily and would've agreed to support anyone. I.e. it's not completely impossible.
>>888332
He would have to have balls to pull off Peter The Great v2 but he didn't.
>>889956
>Czar would've needed support for his reforms and no "proper" reformist parties were interested in keeping monarchy alive
Like Socialist-Revolutionaries, not Bolsheviks.