Question

an ignoble not noble war has been declared to a weak country. the indignation outrage in russia shared fully by me is enormous. i foresee that very soon i shall be overwhelmed by the pressure forced upon me and be forced to take extreme measures which will lead to war. to try and avoid such a calamity as a european war i beg you in the name of our old friendship to do what you can to stop your allies from going too far.
–telegram from tsar nicholas ii to german kaiser wilhelm ii, 1914
which statement best describes the tsar’s point of view, as described in the passage?
○ he believes that world war i will be an immoral war.
○ he worries that russia will be forced into war by forces outside his control.
○ he believes that the coming war can be blamed on germany and its allies.
○ he complains about the pressure he is facing in his country to go to war.

Explanation:

1. Analyze Option 1: The passage focuses on the tsar's concern about being forced into war, not labeling WWI as immoral. Eliminate.
2. Analyze Option 2: The tsar says he'll be "overwhelmed by pressure" and "forced to take extreme measures which will lead to war", showing worry about external forces (pressure) pushing Russia into war. This matches.
3. Analyze Option 3: The passage doesn't assign blame to Germany and allies; it's about the tsar's internal pressure. Eliminate.
4. Analyze Option 4: The tsar is concerned about being forced into war by pressure, not just complaining about domestic pressure to go to war. The key is being forced into war, not domestic pressure to initiate. Eliminate.

Answer:

B. He worries that Russia will be forced into war by forces outside his control.