Born a peasant in Siberia, Grigori Rasputin became a religious teacher, although he was never ordained as a priest. He became close with czar’s family because they believed he had mysterious powers that relieved their son’s hemophilia, a disease that prevents blood from clotting and causes massive bleeding from even slight injuries.
It was rumored that Czarina Alexandra, who was put in charge of the Czar’s responsibilities when he went to command troops during WWI, was heavily under Rasputin’s control. In December 1916, a small group of young aristocrats who feared that Rasputin was taking control of the government plotted his assassination. They lured him to a mansion and fed him poisoned cakes. The poison apparently had no effect on Rasputin’s extraordinary strength. The conspirators then shot him several times. Assuming he was finally dead, they threw him into the Neva River. When his body was discovered three days later, doctors confirmed the cause of his death- drowning.
Rasputin’s death threw the Czarina into shock. His prediction haunted her: “If I die or you desert me, in six months you will lose your son and your throne.”
The specifics behind Rasputin’s death are now more a legend than fact. Many of the facts have been discredited through historical investigation. Rasputin’s supposed influence over the Czar’s family showed that the government was corrupt and added to the lower class’s distrust for the family.
Question: Rasputin had influence over government decisions when he was close to the Czar’s family. How does this support the claim that the government was corrupt?