During World War I, Michael was made a chairman of the commission to consolidate Russian orders abroad, but was denied permission to come back to Russia and serve with its armed forces. Trying to help his country, he acted as an agent for Russian loans in France. On 31 October 1916, the grand duke wrote to Tsar Nicholas II warning him that British secret agents in Russia were expecting a revolution, and that he should satisfy the people's just demands before it was too late. Excerpts of Michael's correspondence in French with the Emperor during his exile have been published (usually beseeching the tsar for money).