On March 15, 1917, the Russian Empire collapsed under the weight of war, famine, and revolution.

Tsar Nicholas II, once the absolute ruler of one-sixth of the Earth's landmass, found himself powerless, stranded on a train, and forced to sign away his throne. His abdication ended 300 years of Romanov rule and set Russia on a path toward chaos, Bolshevism, and ultimately, the Soviet Union.

How did a monarch who believed in divine right lose it all? In this episode of Dave Does History, we unravel the dramatic downfall of Nicholas II and the empire that vanished with his signature.