STURMER, BORIS VLADIMIROVICH

born July 28 [July 16, old style], 1848 died Sept. 2, 1917, Petrograd, Russia Sturmer also spelled Shtyurmer Russian public official, who served as prime minister, minister of the interior, and minister of foreign affairs during World War I. Before his appointment to the premiership, Sturmer served as master of ceremonies at court, was a department head in the Ministry of the Interior, and held the post of provisional governor of Yaroslavl. On Feb. 2, 1916, while Tsar Nicholas II was at the front with his troops, leaving the administration of the country to his wife, Alexandra, and to her personal advisor, the illiterate Siberian peasant and holy man, Rasputin, the little-known Sturmer was appointed prime minister because of his association with Alexandra and Rasputin. Sturmer did not establish his own policies while in office, had difficulty in grasping the subject of discussion at meetings, and relied heavily on Alexandra and Rasputin, both of whom made the decisions of the office. In March 1916 Sturmer was also given the key post of minister of the interior, but under his administration the country suffered drastic inflation and a transportation breakdown, which led to severe food shortages. Sturmer simply let matters drift until he was able to be relieved of this post, and he accepted the more prestigious office of minister of foreign affairs (July 20). Sturmer was equally incompetent in this position, however, and he has even been charged with being a German sympathizer; whatever the truth may be, Sturmer undoubtedly aided Germany during World War I by his ineptness as an administrator. He was subject to vociferous attacks by members of the Duma when it met in November 1916, and he began to lose the support of Alexandra and Rasputin. Finally, on Nov. 23, 1916, Sturmer was forced to resign. Placed under arrest by the provisional government, he died in prison.