The reason why the Tsar Nicholas II was unsucessful, that he a poor leader in both the Russo-Japanese War and WWI. He lost 3 million men under his command from 1914-1917. The imperial period of Rome lasted approximately 1,500 years compared to the 500 years of the Republican era.In Vergil's epic poem the Aeneid, limitless empire is said to be granted to the Romans by their supreme deity Jupiter.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire
Not only was Tsar Nicholas II the last emperor of the Russian Third Rome...
because he was part German, he was also one of the last heirs of the Holy Roman Empire.
Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese war was the beginning of the end of Tsarist Russia.
The US government wanted that war and fostered it because Tsarist Russia was in the way
of US plans for the Far East.
Ironically, presidents Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson all supported revolutionaries against Russia's tsar.
In the quotes below, "Hay" is John Hay, Theodore Roosevelt's Secretary of State, who initiated the US "Open Door" policy with China.
" Roosevelt and the British feared Russia. Manchuria was also the subject of lobbying by American commercial interests.
“Our trade there is assuming enormous proportions,” Hay wrote. Hay urged Roosevelt to encourage Japan to attack Russia. " [pg 177-178]
" Russia backed down and promised to open all ports to all nations except Harbin and to withdraw its troops by October 8, 1903.
“How much this anti-Russian, pro-Japanese policy of the Roosevelt Administration encouraged Japan to make war on Russia is unknown.” [pg 180-181]"
" Roosevelt’s stated aims in Asia: keep Russia and Japan balanced in power. “Japan could have Korea but must guarantee protection of U.S. concessions there.” Japan would be kept out of China, the Russians could predominate in Manchuria if they followed an Open Door policy." [pg 238]
" Japanese war aims were explained to Roosevelt before the battle of Mukden. They wanted to control Port Arthur and Korea, and have the rest of Manchuria taken from the Russians and put back in Chinese control." [pg 247]
Theodore Roosevelt and the Rise of America to World Power