Master of the occult? Glutton and debaucher? Puppet master of the Russian royal family? Accidental instigator of the Russian Revolution? Historians debate the role of Rasputin, the advisor to Tsarina Alexandra, wife of the last czar of Russia, and these inquiries linger in the video biography. After watching the installment of the larger Who Did What in WW1? series, scholars ponder the questions, along with how Rasputin's influence on the czar helped lead to the Russian Revolution.

Concepts

world war i, the russian revolution, biographies

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Show the video to prompt discussion about the conditions leading to the Russian Revolution
• Offer the video as research in a flipped classroom model to discuss key figures in World War I or the Russian Revolution

Classroom Considerations

• Some sexual content, including a drawing of a nude woman and reference to sexual behavior
• Scholars may need some background on the social conditions in Russia during World War I and immediately prior to the Revolution
  

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• The video links Rasputin to the larger themes in Russian history in the pre-Revolutionary era
• Intriguing photos stimulate learner inquiry
• Animated narrator stokes scholar enthusiasm

Cons

• Embedded advertising at the beginning of the video may interrupt instruction

Common Core

L.9-10.2.a L.11-12.2.a