History glossary
tsar
the title used by Russia's emperors before the Romanov monarchy fell in 1917.
- Category
- Political title
- Region
- Russia
- Date range
- 1547-1917
What it means
Tsar was the title used by Russia's emperors before the Romanov monarchy fell in 1917. In revolutionary history, tsarism refers to the autocratic political system built around the emperor, court, army, bureaucracy, and empire.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The Russian Revolution
From the 1905 crisis to the creation of the USSR, the Russian Revolution transformed imperial collapse into a new one-party socialist state.
The Soviets
From revolution to superpower, the Soviet Union rose, struggled internally, and collapsed in 1991.
The First World War
World War I reshaped empires, borders, and societies, setting the stage for World War II.
