Rasputin and the Empress (1932) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Princess Natasha recommends Rasputin as a healer because Crown Prince Alexei is suffering from life-threatening hemophilia. The imperial physician Dr. Remezov has exhausted all medical options, leaving the Empress Alexandra desperate for any solution. Natasha, as Alexandra's confidante, brings forth Rasputin after hearing of his reputation as a mystic healer, believing he might save the child's life.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Prince Paul voices concern about the suffering of common people, setting up the political tension that will later surround the court.

• princess natasha
• rasputin
• alexei
• hemonphilia
• healer
• imperial court

Rasputin convinces Alexandra that he has been sent by God to cure Alexei. Using hypnosis at the boy's bedside, he eases Alexei's pain and demonstrates what appears to be a miraculous ability to help the child. This demonstration creates a powerful psychological bond between Rasputin and the Empress, who sees him as the answer to her prayers for her son's survival.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes Alexei's hemophilia as a constant threat to the dynasty from the opening scenes.

• rasputin
• empress alexandra
• trust
• hypnosis
• cure
• alexei

Rasputin builds his power through a combination of methods: he leverages the Empress's gratitude to replace loyal officials with his own allies, and he forms an alliance with the head of the secret police who fears losing his job. Using police dossiers, Rasputin begins blackmailing rivals, allowing him to weave himself into the fabric of state decisions and undermine those who oppose him, particularly Prince Paul.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows Rasputin's influence growing steadily after his initial success with Alexei.

• rasputin
• power
• influence
• blackmail
• secret police
• allies

Paul Chegodieff confronts Rasputin and shoots him at point-blank range, but Rasputin survives because he is wearing a hidden metal breastplate under his clothing. The bullet bounces off, leaving Paul shocked and exposed. This failed assassination attempt ultimately leads to Paul being forced to resign from his position at court.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Paul grows increasingly alarmed by Rasputin's control over the monarchy, building toward his desperate action.

• prince paul
• assassination
• rasputin
• breastplate
• fails
• shooting

After Paul attempts to assassinate Rasputin, the Czar Nicholas II is compelled to accept Paul's resignation under pressure from Rasputin's growing influence. The attempt exposes the depth of opposition to Rasputin but also leaves Paul vulnerable. Rasputin's survival of the shooting and his continued sway over the Empress make it impossible for Paul to remain in power.

Foreshadowing: The failed assassination attempt directly follows Paul's growing alarm about Rasputin's control.

• prince paul
• resign
• rasputin
• czar nicholas
• forced
• position

As Germany issues an ultimatum demanding Russia stop its mobilization, the Tsar's advisers are divided on how to respond. Rasputin personally persuades Czar Nicholas to reject the ultimatum, pushing the country toward war. This decision proves catastrophic, as Russia's involvement in World War I accelerates the collapse of the imperial government.

Foreshadowing: The political crisis widens as war looms, with Rasputin's influence reaching state-level decisions.

• rasputin
• world war 1
• germany
• ultimatum
• russia
• mobilization
• nicholas

Natasha's loyalty to Rasputin shatters when he begins making advances toward Grand Duchess Maria, Alexandra's daughter. Furious and fearful for her own position at court, Natasha confronts Rasputin directly and accuses him of wrongdoing. However, Alexandra's late arrival interrupts the confrontation, leaving the truth ambiguous but permanently straining Natasha's faith in the mystic.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, the court becomes divided between those who fear Rasputin's sway and those who still believe in him.

• natasha
• rasputin
• maria
• grand duchess
• confrontation
• jealousy
• faith

At a grand party where Rasputin is the guest of honor, Paul and Dr. Remezov are discovered hiding in the palace. Rasputin confronts them in the cellar, where Paul taunts him about poisoned cakes. A brutal struggle ensues, with Rasputin proclaiming that if he dies, Russia will die. Paul ultimately drags Rasputin into the snow and throws him into a river, but Rasputin's fate remains ambiguous in this confrontation.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Paul swears he knows what to do when the Empress sends for him in desperation.

• prince paul
• winter palace
• struggle
• river
• rasputin
• exile

The film depicts the collapse of the Russian Empire following Rasputin's influence and Russia's involvement in World War I. TheCzar Nicholas II and his family are executed by the Bolsheviks, marking the final collapse of the Romanov dynasty. Rasputin's prophecies of catastrophe appear fulfilled as the old order crumbles under the weight of revolution and war.

Foreshadowing: Rasputin's ominous warning that if he dies, Russia will die, haunts the final acts of the film.

• czar nicholas
• family
• executed
• bolsheviks
• revolution
• romanov
• death

The film's final image shows a light blazing behind a cross while the Russian anthem swells, then shifts to an English hymn pleading for peace. This transition from the Russian anthem to a prayer for peace, 'Give Us Peace in Our Time, Oh Lord', symbolizes the collapse of the old Russian order and a mournful yearning for peace after the dynasty's destruction. It leaves viewers with a haunting meditation on the cost of power and the desire for tranquility amid ruin.

Foreshadowing: The film closes on tragic memory rather than triumph, consistent with its bleak tone throughout.

• ending
• cross
• hymn
• peace
• anthem
• symbolism
• romanov