“optimist” or “pessimist

Do you tend to agree with “optimist” or “pessimist” interpretations of Russian history? In other words, as of the 300-year anniversary of the Romanov Dynasty in 1913, was Russia tending toward further revolutionary crisis or was it embarking on a potential “golden age” (or both or neither)? What were the empire’s sources of strength and of weakness, and how do you evaluate the monarchy’s response to challenges (name several specific, relevant challenges and explain how you think the monarchy’s responses affected later events)? In what ways was the monarchy’s influence moderated or undermined by other social forces, such as the bureaucracy, educated society, the intelligentsia, the “masses,” etc? Would you characterize the major effect of World War I on Russia as highlighting existing faultlines or derailing what had been a progressive development? Remember to make an effort to view evidence as it appeared in its time, without knowing what we know about the effects of World War I and the 1917 Revolution.