The last emperor of Russia before the abdication in 1917 was Tsar Nicholas II. He ruled from 1894 until his abdication during the Russian Revolution, which was fueled by widespread discontent due to World War I, economic hardship, and social inequality. Nicholas II struggled to maintain authority amid growing revolutionary movements, and in March 1917, he was forced to abdicate in favor of his brother, who declined the throne. Nicholas II and his family were eventually executed in 1918, marking the end of the Romanov dynasty and ushering in the Bolshevik regime.