Even though many people were not a big fan of the Imperialist government run by the Tsar, a Russian loss in WW1 would almost certainly mean the Tsar being replaced by the Imperialist government of Germany, lead by the Kaiser. Due to the war being against Germany, the capital of St Petersburg was renamed to Petrograd to sound less German. However, one person who did not support Russia’s success in the war was Vladimir Lenin, who despised the Tsar so much even if it meant the country was reduced to ash and ruin getting him deposed.
However, unlike the Western front, the Central powers had made a decent advance into Russian Territory, due to poor leadership and logistical problems. The Tsar declared himself Commander in Chief of the Army, leaving Petrograd to go to the front lines, leaving his wife, a German, and Rasputin, a crazy, homeless “wizard”, in charge of the country, which isn’t something you really want to do ever, especially when you’re at war and even more so a war with Germany.
A group of nobles, tired of Rasputin’s antics, believing he was secretly destroying Russia and having sex with the Tsarina, decided to act. Some of the conspirators included Felix Yusopov, a Russian Prince and Count, and Dmitry Pavlovich, a Grand Duke and the grandson of Tsar Alexander II.
On December 29th, 1916, the pair invited Rasputin to a small party in a palace. From this moment on, the story becomes hearsay and rumours. Some believe that because of the events that unfolded, that Rasputin actually was a wizard. Once Rasputin arrived, they offered him tea and cakes, all laced with enough cyanide to kill 3-4 men. However, Rasputin ate it all and seemed fine. The Prince then gave him some wine, also laced with cyanide. Rasputin drank 3 glasses and was still perfectly fine. Tired of this, Yusopov went a bit less subtle, grabbing a revolver and shooting Rasputin in the chest.
The two then left the palace, with another conspirator wearing Rasputin’s clothes and hat, to make it seem as though Rasputin had left the palace alive. Upon returning to the palace, they were shocked to find that Rasputin was still alive, who lept up from the floor and attacked them, before running out into the snowy courtyard. He was shot twice more, whereupon he fell on the ground. Yusopov then allegedly began beating Rasputin of the head with a dumbell. Eventually, they carried him to a nearby bridge, throwing him into the icy water. It is not known if he was still alive by the time he was thrown in the water, despite rumours claiming he was thrashing around in the freezing cold water, but his body was found on January 1st underneath the ice.
Once it was found that Yusopov and Pavlovich were part of the conspiracy, Yusopov was exiled to his country estate and Pavlovich was sent to a garrison in Persia, modern day Iran. Rasputin was buried on January 2nd.