A heavy burden has been laid on me by my brother's will in transferring to me the imperial throne of All Russia at a time of an unprecedented war and of unrest among the people.
Inspired by the thought common to the whole nation, that the well-being of our homeland comes above all, I have taken the hard decision to accept supreme power only in the event that it shall be the will of our great people, who in nationwide voting must elect their representatives to a Constituent Assembly, establish a new form of government and new fundamental laws for the Russian State.
Therefore, calling on God's blessing, I ask all citizens of the Russian State to obey the provisional government which has formed and been invested with complete power on the initiative of the State Duma, until a Constituent Assembly, to be convened in the shortest possible time on the basis of general, direct, equal, secret ballot, express the will of the people in its decision on a form of government.
Signed:
3/III - 1917. Petrograd.