Alexandra
Fyodorovna, the daughter of Louis IV, the Grand Duke
of Hesse-Darmstadt, was born in Germany on 6th June, 1872.
Alexandra, the grand-daughter of Queen Victoria,
married Nicholas II, the Tsar
of Russia, in October, 1894. Over the next few years she gave
birth to four daughters and a son, Alexis.
Alexandra
and Nicholas II disliked St. Petersburg.
Considering it too modern, they moved the family residence in 1895
from Anichkov Palace to Alexander Palace in Tsarskoe Selo, where they
lived in seclusion.
In
1905 Alexandra met Gregory Rasputin,
a monk who claimed he had healing powers. Alexis suffered from hemophilia
(a disease whereby the blood does not clot if a wound occurs). When
Alexis was taken seriously ill in 1908, Rasputin was called to the
royal palace. He managed to stop the bleeding and from then on he
became a member of the royal entourage.
Alexandra
was a strong believer in the autocratic power of Tsardom and urged
him to resist demands for political reform. This resulted in her becoming
an unpopular person in Russia and this intensified during the First
World War.
In
September, 1915,
Nicholas II assumed supreme command of the
Russian Army fighting on the Eastern
Front.
As he spent most of his time at GHQ, Alexandra
now took responsibility for domestic policy. Gregory
Rasputin served
as her adviser and over the next few months she dismissed ministers
and their deputies in rapid succession.
Rumours
began to circulate that Alexandra
and
Gregory Rasputin were
leaders of a pro-German court group and were seeking a separate peace
with the Central Powers in order to help
the survival of the autocracy in Russia.
Gregory
Rasputin
was also suspected of financial corruption and right-wing politicians
believed that he was undermining the popularity of the regime. Felix
Yusupov, the husband of the Tsar's niece, and Vladimir
Purishkevich, a member of the Duma,
formed a conspiracy to murder Rasputin. On 29th December, 1916, Rasputin
was invited to Yusupov's home where he was given poisoned wine and
cakes. When this did not kill him he was shot by Yusupov and Purishkevich
and then dropped through a hole in the frozen canal outside the house.
As
supreme command of the Russian Army the
Tsar was linked him to the country's military failures and during
1917 there was a strong decline in support for Nicholas
II in Russia. On 13th
July, 1917, the Russian Army High Command recommended that Nicholas
abdicated. Two days later the Tsar renounced the throne.
The Tsar and his immediate family were arrested and negotiations began
to find a place of overseas exile. P. N.
Milyukov persuaded David Lloyd George,
to offer the family political asylum in Britain. However, King George
V, who feared that the presence of Nicholas would endanger his
own throne, forced Lloyd George to withdraw the offer.
Nicholas
and his family were moved to the remote Siberian city of Ekaterinburg
where he was held captive by a group of Bolsheviks.
Alexandra Fyodorovna, her husband and children, were executed on 16th
July 1918.
Russian
cartoon of Rasputin (1916)
(1)
Alexandra Fyodorovna,
letter to Nicholas II (August, 1915)
Our souls
are fighting for the right against the evil. You are proving yourself
the Autocrat without which Russia cannot exist. God anointed you in
your coronation and God, who is always near you, will save your country
and throne through your firmness.
(2)
Michael
Rodzianko, the President of the Duma,
later wrote about the role of Grigory Rasputin
during the First World War in his book, The
Fall of the Empire.
Profiting by the Tsar's arrival at Tsarskoe I asked
for an audience and was received by him on March 8th. "I must
tell Your Majesty that this cannot continue much longer. No one opens
your eyes to the true role which this man (Rasputin) is playing. His
presence in Your Majesty's Court undermines confidence in the Supreme
Power and may have an evil effect on the fate of the dynasty and turn
the hearts of the people from their Emperor". My report did some
good. On March 11th an order was issued sending Rasputin to Tobolsk;
but a few days later, at the demand of the Empress, the order was
cancelled.
(3)
Alexander Kerensky, Russia and History's
Turning Point (1965)
The Tsarina's blind faith in Rasputin led her to seek
his counsel not only in personal matters but also on questions of
state policy. General Alekseyev, held in high esteem by Nicholas II,
tried to talk to the Tsarina about Rasputin, but only succeeded in
making an implacable enemy of her. General Alexseyev told me later
about his profound concern on learning that a secret map of military
operations had found its way into the Tsarina's hands. But like many
others, he was powerless to take any action.
On January
19, Goremykin was replaced by Sturmer, an extreme reactionary who
hated the very idea of any form of popular representation or local
self-government. Even more important, he was undoubtedly a believer
in the need for an immediate cessation of the war with Germany.
During
his first few months in office, Sturmer was also Minister of Interior,
but the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs was still held by Sazonov,
who firmly advocated honouring the alliance with Britain and France
and carrying on the war to the bitter end, and who recognized the
Cabinet's obligation to pursue a policy in tune with the sentiments
of the majority in the Duma.
On August
9, however, Sazonov was suddenly dismissed. His portfolio was taken
over by Sturmer, and on September 16, Protopopov was appointed acting
Minister of the Interior. The official government of the Russian Empire
was now entirely in the hands of the Tsarina and her advisers.
(4)
Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich,
letter to Nicholas II (January, 1917)
The unrest
grows; even the monarchist principle is beginning to totter; and those
who defend the idea that Russia cannot exist without a Tsar lose the
ground under their feet, since the facts of disorganization and lawlessness
are manifest. A situation like this cannot last long. I repeat once
more - it is impossible to rule the country without paying attention
to the voice of the people, without meeting their needs, without a
willingness to admit that the people themselves understand their own
needs.
(5)
Alexandra Fyodorovna
, letter to Nicholas II (25th
February, 1917)
The strikers and rioters in the city are now in a more defiant
mood than ever. The disturbances are created by hoodlums. Youngsters
and girls are running around shouting they have no bread; they do
this just to create some excitement. If the weather were cold they
would all probably be staying at home. But the thing will pass and
quiet down, providing the Duma behaves. The worst of the speeches
are not reported in the papers, but I think that for speaking against
the dynasty there should be immediate and severe punishment.
(6)
Alexandra Fyodorovna,
letter to Nicholas II (26th
February, 1917)
The whole trouble comes from these idlers, well-dressed people,
wounded soldiers, high-school girls, etc. who are inciting others.
Lily spoke to some cab-drivers to find out things. They told her that
the students came to them and told them if they appeared in the streets
in the morning, they should be shot to death. What corrupt minds!
Of course the cabdrivers and the motormen are now on strike. But they
say that it is all different from 1905, because they all worship you
and only want bread.
(7)
General Lukomsky, assistant to the Chief of Staff, letter (2nd March,
1917)
The Tsar
entered the hall. After bowing to everybody, he made a short speech.
He said that the welfare of his country, the necessity for putting
an end to the Revolution and preventing the horrors of civil war,
and of directing all the efforts of the State to the continuation
of the struggle with the foe at the front, had determined him to abdicate
in favour of his brother, the Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich.
(8) Alexandra Fyodorovna
, letter to Nicholas II (14th
March, 1917)
I quite understand your action, my hero. I know that you could
not have signed anything that was contrary to your oath given at the
coronation. We understand each other perfectly without words, and
I swear, upon my life, that we shall see you again on the throne,
raised there once more by your people, and your army, for the glory
of your reign. You saved the empire for your son and the country,
as well as your sacred purity, and you shall be crowned by God himself
on earth in your own hand.
(9)
Official statement issued by the Soviet government in Izvestia
(1918)
Lately the approach of the Czechoslovak bands seriously
threatened the capital of the Red Urals, Ekaterinburg. In view of
this the presidium of the Ural Territorial Soviet decided to shoot
Nicholas Romanov, which was done on July 16. The wife and son of Nicholas
Romanov were sent to a safe place. The All-Russian Soviet Executive
Committee, through its presidium, recognizes as correct the decisions
of the Ural Territorial Soviet.
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