On 20 July 1916, Protopopov formally met with Tsar Nicholas II who described him as "a man I like very much".
Alexander Kerensky had described him as "handsome, elegant, captivating .... moderately liberal and always pleasant".
Repeatedly, Empress Alexandra urged her husband to appoint Protopopov as Minister of the Interior as placing the vice-president of the Duma in a key post might improve the relations between the Duma and the monarchy.
Although impressed by Protopopov's charm, Nicholas was initially doubtful about his suitability for a position that included responsibility for police and food supplies at a time of instability and shortages.
Protopopov had no bureaucratic experience and knew little of the police department.
However, the Tsar approved his appointment as manager of the Ministry of Interior some time between 16 and 20 September 1916.
According to Richard Pipes, Protopopov received carte blanche to run the country.
Although earlier considered fairly liberal, Protopopov saw his new role as that of preserving Tsarist autocracy.
With the Tsar absent at the Stavka headquarters, the government of Russia appeared managed as a kind of personal concern between the Empress, Grigori Rasputin and Protopopov, with the auxiliary assistance of Anna Vyrubova.
Protopopov continued the reactionary policies of his predecessor, Boris Stürmer, with support from the Empress.
 
According to Rodzianko and Bernard Pares, by this point Protopopov was mentally unstable and his speeches were incohesive. "
In spite of his planning on paper, he seems never to have had any effective proposal for the solution of any of the grave and critical problems which he was there to settle."
 In October, Protopopov proposed to let a group of Petrograd bankers purchase all the Russian bread and distribute it through the country.
Protopopov ordered the release of Vladimir Sukhomlinov, the former Minister of War who was arrested in a high-profile scandal regarding allegations of high treason and abuse of power,  and accused responsibility for Russia's numerous early defeats in World War I.. When the Russian public learned Protopopov had visited the now-destitute and despised Sukhomlinov at his apartment, he was heavily criticized in the Duma and damaged the reputation of the government.
Protopopov intended to suppress public organizations, especially Zemgor and the War Industry Committees, to win back the support of the business world, which he knew better than anything else.
In November, Protopopov sought the dissolution of the Duma.

Alexander Trepov, the new prime minister, informed Protopopov that he wished him to give up his post in the Ministry of the Interior and take over that of Commerce, but Protopopov refused.
In November 1916, Trepov made the dismissal of Protopopov an indispensable condition of his accepting the presidency of the Council.
The Empress, who disliked Trepov, tried to retain Protopopov in his influential position in the Ministry of the Interior.
On 14 November 1916 (O.S.), Trepov travelled to the Stavka to meet with the Tsar to discuss the growing crisis caused by World War I, but threatened to resign on the next day.
On 17 November, Nikolai Pokrovsky was appointed as a foreign minister, but announced his resignation four times over disagreements with Protopopov.
Pokrovsky favored the attraction of the American financial capital into the Russian economy.
On 7 December, the cabinet demanded that Protopopov should go to the Tsar and resign, but he was instead appointed as Minister at the request of the Tsarina.
In December 1916, Protopopov banned the zemstvos from meeting without police agents in attendance. "
Protopopov felt that this organization was dominated by a revolutionary salaried staff and that in general the demand of opposition activists for a role in food-supply matters was meant to further political, and not practical, aims."
When the supply problems  proved beyond Protopopov's capabilities to manage, he lifted registration requirements on Jewish residents of Moscow and other cities.
On 20 July 1916, Protopopov formally met with Tsar Nicholas II who described him as "a man I like very much". Alexander Kerensky had described him as "handsome, elegant, captivating .... moderately liberal and always pleasant". Repeatedly, Empress Alexandra urged her husband to appoint Protopopov as Minister of the Interior as placing the vice-president of the Duma in a key post might improve the relations between the Duma and the monarchy. Although impressed by Protopopov's charm, Nicholas was initially doubtful about his suitability for a position that included responsibility for police and food supplies at a time of instability and shortages. Protopopov had no bureaucratic experience and knew little of the police department. However, the Tsar approved his appointment as manager of the Ministry of Interior some time between 16 and 20 September 1916. According to Richard Pipes, Protopopov received carte blanche to run the country. Although earlier considered fairly liberal, Protopopov saw his new role as that of preserving Tsarist autocracy. With the Tsar absent at the Stavka headquarters, the government of Russia appeared managed as a kind of personal concern between the Empress, Grigori Rasputin and Protopopov, with the auxiliary assistance of Anna Vyrubova. Protopopov continued the reactionary policies of his predecessor, Boris Stürmer, with support from the Empress.  
According to Rodzianko and Bernard Pares, by this point Protopopov was mentally unstable and his speeches were incohesive. "In spite of his planning on paper, he seems never to have had any effective proposal for the solution of any of the grave and critical problems which he was there to settle."  In October, Protopopov proposed to let a group of Petrograd bankers purchase all the Russian bread and distribute it through the country. Protopopov ordered the release of Vladimir Sukhomlinov, the former Minister of War who was arrested in a high-profile scandal regarding allegations of high treason and abuse of power,  and accused responsibility for Russia's numerous early defeats in World War I.. When the Russian public learned Protopopov had visited the now-destitute and despised Sukhomlinov at his apartment, he was heavily criticized in the Duma and damaged the reputation of the government. Protopopov intended to suppress public organizations, especially Zemgor and the War Industry Committees, to win back the support of the business world, which he knew better than anything else. In November, Protopopov sought the dissolution of the Duma.
Alexander Trepov, the new prime minister, informed Protopopov that he wished him to give up his post in the Ministry of the Interior and take over that of Commerce, but Protopopov refused. In November 1916, Trepov made the dismissal of Protopopov an indispensable condition of his accepting the presidency of the Council. The Empress, who disliked Trepov, tried to retain Protopopov in his influential position in the Ministry of the Interior. On 14 November 1916 (O.S.), Trepov travelled to the Stavka to meet with the Tsar to discuss the growing crisis caused by World War I, but threatened to resign on the next day. On 17 November, Nikolai Pokrovsky was appointed as a foreign minister, but announced his resignation four times over disagreements with Protopopov. Pokrovsky favored the attraction of the American financial capital into the Russian economy. On 7 December, the cabinet demanded that Protopopov should go to the Tsar and resign, but he was instead appointed as Minister at the request of the Tsarina. In December 1916, Protopopov banned the zemstvos from meeting without police agents in attendance. "Protopopov felt that this organization was dominated by a revolutionary salaried staff and that in general the demand of opposition activists for a role in food-supply matters was meant to further political, and not practical, aims." When the supply problems  proved beyond Protopopov's capabilities to manage, he lifted registration requirements on Jewish residents of Moscow and other cities.
Alexander Protopopov