In March 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.