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107-423: Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra were crowned Emperor and Empress of Russia on 26 May [ O.S. 14 May] 1896. Four days later, a banquet was going to be held for the people at Khodynka Field. In the area a town square , theatres , 150 buffets for distribution of gifts, and 20 pubs were built for the celebrations. Near the celebration square was a field that had a ravine and many gullies . On

214-441: A "deep and pure" love for him. Nicholas begged her "not [to] say 'no' directly" and declared, "Do you think there can exist any happiness in the whole world without you!" In April 1894 Alix's brother Ernest Louis married Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha . Princess Victoria was Alexander III's niece by his sister Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia and Nicholas's first cousin, so several Russians attended

321-425: A German empress would lead to better German-Russian relations) and Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (a German princess who had converted from Lutheranism to Orthodoxy to marry Nicholas's uncle Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia ). She accepted Nicholas's second proposal. Following the engagement Alix returned to England and her grandmother. In June Nicholas travelled to England to visit her and attend

428-402: A bad omen because she arrived so soon after the death of Emperor Alexander: "She has come to us behind a coffin. She brings misfortune with her." Alexandra herself wrote to her sister: "Our wedding seemed to me, a mere continuation of the funeral liturgy for the dead Tsar, with one difference; I wore a white dress instead of a black one." On 26 May 1896, Alexandra and Nicholas were crowned at

535-446: A bow, and was subsequently appointed the commander of his own regiment. After hostility ended in 1857, he became the head of several military schools , and thanks to his efforts, many infantry officers had been trained to take up the post of small unit commander and managing weapons, and those who graduated in the first category was granted the next rank ahead of the schedule. He was later promoted to major-general in 1861. In 1868, he

642-575: A bulletin on 21 August claiming that Alexandra had "a straightforward miscarriage, without any complications." Humiliated, Alexandra sent Philippe to France. In 1903 Alexandra and Nicholas decided to support the canonisation of Seraphim of Sarov . Before he left Russia Philippe told them that Seraphim would grant Alexandra a son. Seraphim had been a monk in the Tambov region who had supposedly performed local miracles and had been dead for seventy years. The Metropolitan of Moscow reluctantly agreed to canonize

749-526: A disappointment!… a fourth girl!" The French diplomat Maurice Paléologue reported: "The German [Alexandra] has the evil eye. Thanks to her nefarious influence our Emperor is doomed to catastrophe." The Russian peasants decided that "the Empress was not beloved in heaven or she would have borne a son." Alexandra and Nicholas turned to the faith in hopes of having a son. Shortly after Anastasia's birth, Grand Duchess Militza Nikolaevna introduced Alexandra to

856-492: A ditch and were trampled or suffocated there. Despite the tragedy, the program of festivities continued as planned elsewhere on the large field, with many people unaware of what had happened. The Emperor and Empress made an appearance in front of the crowds on the balcony of the Tsar's Pavilion in the middle of the field around 2 p.m. By that time, the traces of the incident had been cleaned up. The parties, receptions and balls after

963-529: A few allusions to Hélène, daughter of the Comte de Paris. I myself want to go in one direction and it is evident that Mama wants me to choose the other one." Hélène also resisted this match, as she was Roman Catholic and her father refused to allow her to convert to Russian Orthodoxy . Alexander sent emissaries to Princess Margaret of Prussia , sister of Wilhelm II, German Emperor , and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Nicholas declared that he would rather become

1070-820: A few years, he participated in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and the Crimean War as part of the Life Guards Finnish Regiment , distinguishing himself at the Siege of Silistra , he was highly decorated after the war, becoming the head of his own regiment, and several military schools. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 , he took the prominent role as the chief of staff of the Ruschuk Detachment, under

1177-617: A large amount of aid to the families of the dead, and a number of minor officials were dismissed. The negligence and the tone-deaf response of the imperial authorities, however, caused further public indignation. Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich wrote in his memoirs that "The radiant smile on the face of Grand Duke Sergei prompted foreigners to remark that the Romanovs lacked judgment." Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, then Governor-General of Moscow , became known as "the Prince of Khodynka" and

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1284-399: A lover and aborted the baby to hide her infidelity. On 10 June 1897 Alexandra gave birth to her second child and daughter, Tatiana . Nicholas was overjoyed but the members of his family were unhappy and worried. When she woke up from the chloroform, Alexandra saw the "anxious and troubled faces" around her and "burst into loud hysterics." She cried, "My God, it is again a daughter. What will

1391-475: A match between Alix and Prince Maximilian of Baden . She asked Louis to invite the prince to Darmstadt as soon as possible. When he arrived in Darmstadt, Maximilian told Alix that he intended to propose to her. Alix was surprised and unhappy, and she later reflected that "I did not know him at all." She asked her older sister Victoria to intervene and help her reject Maximilian politely. In 1884, Alix attended

1498-477: A monk than marry Margaret; she in turn was unwilling to convert to the Russian Orthodox Church from being Protestant. When his health failed in 1894, Alexander III decided to allow Nicholas to marry Alix so that he could secure the succession. Maria reluctantly permitted Nicholas to propose to Alix. Nicholas was ecstatic and immediately inquired about Alix. Despite her love for Nicholas, Alix

1605-539: A mystic named Philippe Nizier-Vachot . He was an unlicensed quack who claimed that he could use his magnetic powers to change the sex of a baby inside the womb. Nicholas contrived a medical diploma from the Imperial Military Medical Academy for Philippe and made him State Councilor and military doctor. Nicholas's mother (Maria), sister (Xenia) and sister-in-law (Ella) were alarmed and warned him and Alexandra to stay away from Philippe, but

1712-423: A son. However Nicholas's ministers refused: If Nicholas died, Michael would become tsar. If Alexandra's baby was a boy, Michael would renounce the throne in his nephew's favor. Alexandra was not satisfied and she grew to distrust Nicholas's ministers for trying to "steal" her future son's inheritance. On 18 June 1901 Alexandra gave birth to Anastasia . Nicholas's sister, Grand Duchess Xenia, exclaimed, "My God! What

1819-739: A teenager. It is often said that she struggled with Russian and did not learn it until she became Empress. This is however untrue. Her teenage diaries show that she had some Russian lessons prior to visiting her sister Ella in Russia. She began learning Russian in earnest after her engagement to Nicholas, and during the period of her engagement wrote long passages to him in Russian - with some minor errors, but improving over time. She learned to speak Russian very well. The letters between Alexandra and her son Alexei were almost without exception in Russian. Alexandra failed to understand her public role at court as

1926-435: A telegram when Maria was born: "I am so thankful that dear Alicky has recovered so well, but I regret the third girl for the country." Grand Duke Konstantin fretted: "And so there's no Heir. The whole of Russia will be disappointed by this news." Russians saw the birth of a third daughter as proof that Alexandra was bad luck. Two weeks after Maria's birth, Nicholas's brother George died and their younger brother Michael became

2033-553: A windowpane. In January 1890, Alix visited her sister Ella in Russia. She and Nicholas skated together, met at tea parties, and played badminton. Nicholas wrote in his diary: "It is my dream to one day marry Alix H. I have loved her for a long time, but more deeply and strongly since 1889 when she spent six weeks in Petersburg. For a long time, I have resisted my feeling that my dearest dream will come true." Alix's sister Ella and her husband Sergei were enthusiastically in favor of

2140-485: A yardstick." Alexandra struggled to communicate. She spoke English and German fluently, but she is said to have struggled to speak French, the official language of the court. Her letters and notes show that she could read and write French very fluently however, and communication between herself and her children's French tutor Pierre Gilliard was always in French. Alexandra also spoke Italian, having learned that language as

2247-421: Is not pregnant, indeed that there never was any pregnancy, and that the symptoms that led to suppose it were in fact only anaemia!". In reality, Alexandra had had a molar pregnancy . On 19 August 1902 she had suffered a discharge of "a spherical, fleshy mass the size of a walnut", which Dr Dmitry Ott confirmed was a dead fertilized egg in the fourth week of gestation. To save face, the court physicians published

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2354-467: Is too stupid." In May 1890, Alix wrote a letter to Eddy that although it "pained her to pain him," she only saw him as a cousin and could not marry him. She wrote to Victoria that she would marry Eddy if she were "forced" by the family but that both of them would be miserable. Victoria was disappointed, but she decided that Alix had shown "great strength of character" in refusing to acquiesce to such strong pressure. In 1891, Queen Victoria tried to arrange

2461-591: Is very imperious and will always insist on having her own way; she will never yield one iota of power she will imagine she wields   ..." She dreaded social functions and enjoyed being alone with Nicholas, so she did not host the balls and parties that a tsarina normally would. Members of the imperial family resented that she closed off their access to the tsar and the inner court. She disliked Nicholas's uncle, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich . She declared that Vladimir's sons Kirill , Boris and Andrei were irredeemably immoral. In 1913 she refused Boris's proposal for

2568-487: The 35th Infantry Division , a Ukrainian Regiment and reinforced by the cavalry of Freiherr von Driesen , the Ruschuk Detachment advanced and launched an attack on the left flank of the Ottomans. The Ottomans' defense broke and the center and left flank of the Ruschuk Detachment went on an offensive, during which Ottoman troops completely broke down. In this battle, the Ruschuk Detachment's casualties were about 850 men, and

2675-531: The Alexander Palace . Many Russians and members of the imperial family were disappointed in the sex of the child, but Nicholas and Alexandra were delighted with their daughter and doted on her. The birth of Olga did not change Grand Duke George's position as Nicholas's heir presumptive. The Pauline Laws implemented by Tsar Paul I forbade women from taking the Romanov throne as long as any male Romanov

2782-584: The Crimean War as part of the three Finnish battalion Vannovsky's regiment belonged to. In mid 1854, he and the battalions met the Ottomans near the Ottoman villages of Tutrakan and Silistra , and the Siege of Silistra took place. He distinguished himself as a brave but sane soldier during the siege. Later for military distinction, he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir of the 4th degree with swords and

2889-578: The Dormition Cathedral in the Kremlin . Five hundred thousand Russians gathered in Moscow to watch the entertainment, eat the court-sponsored food, and collect the gifts in honor of their new tsar. There were rumors that there was not enough food for everyone, so the crowd rushed towards the gift tables. The police failed to maintain order, and a thousand Russians were trampled to death at

2996-661: The Duchess of Cambridge (her great-great-aunt), the Tsesarevich and Tsesarevna of Russia (her future parents-in-law), and Princess Anna of Prussia . Alix's older brother Prince Friedrich of Hesse and by Rhine ("Frittie") suffered from hemophilia and died in May 1873 after a fall, when Alix was about one year old. Of her siblings, Alix was closest to Princess Marie ("May"), who was two years younger; they were noted as "inseparable". In November 1878, diphtheria swept through

3103-519: The House of Hesse ; Alix, her three sisters, her brother Ernst ("Ernie"), and their father fell ill. Elisabeth ("Ella"), Alix's older sister, was visiting their paternal grandmother, and escaped the outbreak. Alix's mother Alice tended to the children herself, rather than abandon them to nurses and doctors. Alice fell ill and died on 14 December 1878, when Alix was six years old. This was the 17th anniversary of Alice's own father's death. Marie also died, but

3210-664: The Khodynka Field . Nicholas and Alexandra were horrified by the deaths, and they decided not to attend the ball that the French ambassador, the Marquis de Montebello, hosted in their honor. Nicholas's uncles urged him to attend so as not to offend the French and give credence to the rumors that the German Alexandra was prejudiced against the French. Sergei Witte commented, "We expected the party would be called off. Instead it took place as if nothing had happened and

3317-639: The Minister of the Interior Count Tolstoy , had very bad relations with General Iosif Gurko , their relations could only be smoothened by Mikhail Ostrovsky , the Ministry of State Property , who kept a good relation between the three of them. He was also very well respected by many of the staff during his time as Minister of War: Adjutant General Vannovsky was a Minister of War during the reign of Emperor Alexander III. Emperor Alexander III

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3424-654: The Prince and Princess of Wales , and Nicholas's Greek relatives accompanied the coffin of Alexander III first through Moscow and St. Petersburg. The funeral of Alexander III occurred on 19 November. On 26 November 1894, Alexandra and Nicholas married in the Grand Church of the Winter Palace of Saint Petersburg. Court mourning could be relaxed because it was the birthday of Nicholas's mother, now Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna . Many Russians considered Alexandra

3531-599: The Russo-Japanese War , perhaps dying upon learning of the disastrous war with Japan . Pyotr Semyonovich Vannovsky was born 6 December [ O.S. 24 November] 1822 in Kiev to Semyon Ivanovich Vannovsky, who was from the Gentry Vannovsky family of Belarusian origin from Minsk . His father Semyon was a well-educated man who taught French in the 1st Kiev Gymnasium. And Pyotr, followed to

3638-410: The Tsesarevich , future emperor Alexander III . Taking part in many minor but important campaigns, especially a campaign for breaking the Siege of Plevna and the battle between Trastenik and Mechka . For his and Alexander's achievements, they were both awarded the Order of St. George of the 3rd and 2nd degree respectively. A few years after the war, Alexander ascended to the throne, and Vannnovsky

3745-446: The "Help Through Handwork" project. She wanted to create a series of workshops in which noblewomen would teach poor peasants how to sew and raise funds for needy families. Alexandra had a difficult relationship with her mother-in-law, Maria Feodorovna. Unlike other European courts of the day, Russian protocol gave the dowager empress seniority in rank to the empress. At royal balls, Maria entered on her son's arm and Alexandra followed on

3852-475: The 129th Infantry Regiment of Bessarabia , the 130th Infantry Regiment of Kherson , the 131st Infantry Regiment of Tiraspol and the 132nd Infantry Regiment of Bendery . It was a pretty challenging task to form a new unit, but with a determined general such as Vannovsky, he coped with the task easily, which he was noted by the high command of the Kiev Military District . At the beginning of

3959-527: The Coronation were darkened by the catastrophe at Khondinka [sic], where 2,000 people were crushed to death. The same day as the catastrophe, I was taking a walk along the Khondinka [sic] and I met many groups of people coming back from that site and carrying the Tsar's gifts. The strange thing, though, was that not one person mentioned the catastrophe, and I did not hear about it until the next morning, at

4066-594: The Emperor received the nickname of "Nicholas the Bloody". Nicholas II wrote in his diary: 19th of May. Saturday. Until now, everything was going, thank God, like clockwork, but today there was a great mishap. The crowd staying overnight at Khodynka, awaiting the start of the distribution of lunch and mugs pushed against buildings and there was a terrible crush, and awful to say trampled around 1300 people!! I found out about it at 10 + 1 ⁄ 2  hours before

4173-553: The Governor General's palace, where General Prefect of Police Vlasovski brought a special report. Grand Duke Serge Alexandrovich was very depressed by what had happened; he gave Vlasovski orders to return to him every hour with detailed reports on the progress of the investigation into the causes of the disaster. Alexei Volkov A festive ball had been scheduled that night at the French embassy . When Nicholas heard of

4280-546: The Ottomans lost more than 3,000 men. Later, for bravery and military distinction in the battle, the Tsesarevich was awarded the Order of St. George of the 2nd degree, the highest military decoration in the Russian Empire. While General Vannovsky was appointed General Adjutant and awarded the order of the 3rd degree with the inscription "As a reward of courage, bravery and orderliness rendered in affairs against

4387-671: The Russo-Turkish War, he commanded the 12th Army Corps to crossed the Danube , the Army Corps was later incorporated into the Ruschuk Detachment (the Eastern Detachment), for which he was appointed chief of staff of it, commanded by the tsesarevich , the future emperor Alexander III , whom he would become close friend with after the war. The Ruschuk Detachment was exceptionally powerful among other Russian units. It

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4494-468: The Turks and active participation in the repulse of repeated enemy attacks on the positions occupied by the troops of the 12th and 13th Army Corps". After that victory, the Ruschuk Detachment continued carrying out defensive tasks. The Ruschuk Detachment by that time was considered to be the road to victory by many Russian officers through all the minor but extremely important tasks successfully carried out by

4601-570: The Vannovsky Family tradition to choose his future career at a young age, he chose to serve in the military and was strongly supported by his father. So as a result, he moved to Moscow and attended the 1st Moscow Cadet Corps , one of the best cadet corps in Russia. Upon graduating, he joined the Life Guards Finnish Regiment , and participated in the Hungarian Revolution against the Hungarian Revolutionaries and

4708-425: The age of 15, she attended Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee celebrations in 1887. In March 1892, when Alix was nineteen years old, her father Grand Duke Louis IV, died of a heart attack. According to her biographer, Baroness Buxhoeveden, Alix regarded the death of her father as the greatest sorrow of her life. Buxhoeveden recalled in her 1928 biography that "for years she could not speak of him, and long after when she

4815-496: The arm of one of the grand dukes. Maria was so accustomed to the tradition that she was surprised when Alexandra was bitter about her junior role at court. Maria also "carried her insistence on precedence so far that the chiffres of the maids of honor of both Empresses bore the initials M. A. instead of A. M., which was the proper order." The crown jewels were the property of the current Empress, but Maria initially refused to relinquish them to Alexandra. Maria begrudgingly surrendered

4922-402: The ball was opened by Their Majesties dancing a quadrille." The British ambassador informed Queen Victoria that "the Empress appeared in great distress, her eyes reddened by tears." The next day, Alexandra and Nicholas visited the wounded and paid for the coffins of the dead. However, many Russians took the disaster at Khodynka Field as an omen that Nicholas's reign would be unhappy. Others used

5029-500: The best of Turkish commanders. With his unseen but extremely important service, the Ruschuk detachment not only facilitated, but also enabled the entire Russian army to win at other, more important points of the theater of war -Julian Zayonchkovsky By the end of the year, the Russian high command described the actions of the Ruschuk Detachment over the war as follows: The troops of Ruschuk deserve considerable honor and our gratitude. Of

5136-513: The christening of the eldest son of Prince George, Duke of York . Alix and Nicholas were both named as godparents of the boy, who reigned briefly as Edward VIII of the United Kingdom in 1936. Alix wrote to her old governess that "I am more happy than words can express. At last, after these five sad years!" Nicholas declared that "my soul was brimming with joy and life." In September, as Alexander III's health declined, Nicholas obtained

5243-489: The circumstances of the tragedy and the behaviour of the royal establishment to underscore the heartlessness of the autocracy and the contemptible shallowness of the young tsar and his "German woman". Alexandra was extremely unpopular among her husband's Russian subjects. Her shy and introverted nature was interpreted as arrogance and coldness, and she struggled to win friends. The Russian court judged her as "devoid of charm, wooden, cold eyes, holds herself as if she'd swallowed

5350-656: The detachment from the rear. But the plan was later unravelled by Vannovsky, and the Russian Army soon went to defensive position. On 9 September, when the Ottomans attacked, they got counter-attacked by the Russians, inflicting huge casualties on the Ottomans. This victory was very important for the breakthrough in Plevna because the rear of the army was now protected from being attacked. Now with Plevna captured, Commander-in-chief Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich changed

5457-411: The detachment, which had a difficult and difficult task to protect the left flank of the huge space that we had occupied since the beginning of the campaign. This task was accomplished brilliantly, despite the difficulties stemming from the need to detain, for a long time, the vastly superior forces of the enemy, constantly making attempts to break through our defensive lines. Later, the Ruschuk Detachment

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5564-460: The detachment. For five months the troops of the Ruschuk detachment, under the command and leadership of the heir to the Russian throne and then the emperor of the great Russia Alexander III, stood almost unceasing battles and battles with the enemy, constantly exceeding their number (sometimes several times), which had the benefits of an offensive course of action, on strong fortresses, having good routes of communication and being led to be considered

5671-406: The development of the successful career of Vannovsky: Vannovsky's detachment was the first in Russian military history to receive biscuits as food, rather than having bread, to reduce the possibility of getting gastrointestinal disease . This practice then proceeded to extend throughout the Russian Army. During the war, General Vannovsky showed his talent as a chief of staff, and after the war, he

5778-403: The empress. Traditionally, the empress led the social scene and hosted numerous balls. However, Alexandra was shocked by the decadence, love affairs, and gossip that characterized parties. She declared that "the heads of the young ladies of St. Petersburg are filled with nothing but thoughts of young officers," and she crossed off the names of noblemen and noblewomen whom she deemed scandalous from

5885-413: The enamel cups contained gold coins. A police force of 1,800 men failed to maintain civil order, and a catastrophic crowd crush occurred. A total of 1,282 corpses were collected from the scene, and the injured numbered between 9,000 and 20,000, according to different estimates. Another commonly cited figure reports "more than 2,600 casualties, including 1,389 deaths". Most of the victims were trapped in

5992-420: The evening of 29 May, people who had heard rumours of coronation gifts began to gather in anticipation. The gifts which everyone were to receive were a bread roll , a sausage , pretzels , gingerbread and a commemorative cup . At about 6 a.m. several thousand people (estimates reached 500,000) were already gathered on the field. Rumours spread that there was not enough beer or pretzels for everybody, and that

6099-445: The first wife of Tsar Alexander II , and Alix's paternal grandfather, Prince Charles of Hesse and by Rhine , brother of Louis III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine . Queen Victoria opposed the match to Nicholas. She personally liked Nicholas, but she disliked Russia and Nicholas's father and worried that Alix would not be safe in Russia. She wrote to Alix's older sister Victoria of her suspicions that Sergei and Ella were encouraging

6206-502: The gate I received several delegations and then entered the yard. Here dinner was served under four tents for all township heads. I had to make a speech, and then another for the assembled marshals of the nobility. After going around the table, we left for the Kremlin. Dinner at Mama's at 8. Went to the ball at [French ambassador] Montebello 's. It was very nicely arranged, but the heat was unbearable. After dinner, left at 2. Leo Tolstoy

6313-816: The great bulk of the people as a castaway – under the special wrath of God." On 12 August 1904 Alexandra gave birth to Alexei Nikolaevich in Peterhof . Alexei's birth affirmed Nicholas and Alexandra's faith in Philippe. In her diary Nicholas's sister Olga wrote, "I am sure it was Seraphim who brought it about." Nicholas wrote to Militza to "pass on our gratitude and joy … to Philippe." Pyotr Vannovsky Pyotr Semyonovich Vannovsky ( Russian : Пётр Семёнович Ванновский ; Belarusian : Пётр Сямёнавіч Ванновскі , romanized :  Pyotr Syamyonavich Vannovski ; 6 December [ O.S. 24 November] 1822 – 1 March [ O.S. 17 February] 1904)

6420-461: The hand of Grand Duchess Olga. During the war Vladimir's wife, Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna , openly criticized Alexandra. Insecure about her modest origins as a minor German princess, Alexandra insisted on being treated with the full honors due to an empress. In 1896 Alexandra and Nicholas went on a European tour. When Wilhelm II lent her an antique silver toilette service that had once belonged to his great-grandmother, Queen Louise of Prussia , she

6527-419: The heir presumptive to the throne. Courtiers flocked to Michael and treated him as the heir apparent, which distressed Alexandra. In October 1900 Nicholas became ill with abdominal typhus and was confined to bed for five weeks. The cabinet were forced to discuss what would happen if Nicholas died. Alexandra was pregnant with her fourth child, and she insisted that she be named regent in the hope that she would bear

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6634-419: The imperial couple did not heed their advice. In the end of 1901 Alexandra seemed to have become pregnant again and Philippe swore that she was carrying a boy. By the summer of 1902 it was clear that the Empress was not pregnant. Grand Duke Constantine Constantinovich of Russia wrote, "From 8 August we have been waiting every day for confirmation of the Empress's pregnancy. Now we have suddenly learned that she

6741-663: The imperial couple. Nicholas went to the window and waved, but Alexandra refused to open the curtains and acknowledge the crowd. Dowager Empress Maria was furious that "[Alexandra] thinks the Imperial family should be 'above that sort of thing.' What does she mean? Above winning the people's affection?...And yet, how often she complains of the public indifference toward her." Queen Victoria worried about Alexandra's unpopularity in her new country and she advised her granddaughter: "I've ruled more than 50 years ... and nevertheless every day I think about what I need to do to retain and strengthen

6848-549: The invitation lists until no one was left. Many people in St. Petersburg society dismissed Alexandra as a prude. In one of her first balls, Alexandra sent a lady-in-waiting to reprimand a young woman in a low-cut gown: "Her Majesty wants me to tell you that in Hesse-Darmstadt we don't wear our dresses this way." The unnamed woman replied, "Pray tell Her Majesty that in Russia we do wear our dresses this way." In 1896, she launched

6955-488: The life of his men in the army, and carefully engaging in the training of soldiers, making it one of the best division in the Imperial Russian Army . Later he was then appointed chief of staff of the 12th Army Corps in 1871, in which he eventually commanded in the Russo-Turkish War in 1877. In 1876, General Vannovsky was appointed chief of staff of the newly formed 33rd Infantry Division , which included

7062-457: The love of my subjects ... It is your first duty to win their love and respect." Alexandra replied, "You are mistaken, my dear grandmamma; Russia is not England. Here we do not need to earn the love of the people. The Russian people revere their Tsars as divine beings ... As far as Petersburg society is concerned, that is something which one may wholly disregard." On 15 November 1895, Alexandra gave birth to her eldest child and daughter, Olga , at

7169-400: The magnificent collection only after Alexandra threatened not to wear any jewels at all to official court events. Alexandra was unpopular in the imperial family. She was a fervent advocate of the ‘ divine right of kings ’ and believed that it was unnecessary to attempt to secure the approval of the people, according to her aunt, German Empress Victoria , who wrote to Queen Victoria that "Alix

7276-407: The main blow at the right flank of the Russian Army. And the Russians, led by Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich , decided to retreat. Further unravelling revealed that the Ottomans planned to play defensive against the left and center of the Russians, and concentrate the troops to strike on the right flank of them. The battle developed well for the Russians, later with the support of the 2nd Brigade of

7383-481: The match between Nicholas and Alix. Ella and Alix's uncle, the future King Edward VII , told his mother, Queen Victoria, that "Ella will move heaven and earth to get [Alix] to marry a Grand Duke." Ella wrote to Ernest, "God grant this marriage will come true." Nicholas and Alix were second cousins through Wilhelmina of Baden , the mother of both Nicholas's paternal grandmother, Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia , formerly Princess Wilhelmine Marie of Hess-Darmstadt,

7490-459: The match. After the betrothal was announced, she reflected: "The more I think of sweet Alicky's marriage the more unhappy I am. Not as to the personality for I like [Nicholas] very much but on account of the country and the awful insecurity to which that poor child will be exposed." Alexander and Maria Feodorovna were both vehemently anti-German and did not want Alix as a daughter-in-law. Maria Feodorovna told her sister Alexandra of Denmark that

7597-430: The match. Victoria wrote to Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine , Alix's older sister, that Alix "should be made to reflect seriously on the folly of throwing away the chance of a very good husband, kind, affectionate and steady, and of entering a united happy family and a very good position which is second to none in the world!" Alix's older sister Ella opposed the match because "he [Eddy] does not look over strong and

7704-515: The military about modern war tactics, should the general's warning be remembered by the generals of the next generation (those who served in the Russo-Japanese War and the First World War ), the Russian performance in the Russo-Japanese War and the First World War would have been completely different. He also briefly served as the Minister of National Education from 1901 to 1902. After which he retired and died suddenly in 1904 following

7811-438: The military greatly changed, the following were the reforms General Vannovsky carried out: 1. Devices in military control 2. Organization of the army The main ideas of Vannovsky's reforms was to increase the combat part of armed forces at the expense of reducing non-combat elements without needing to increase the overall strength of the army: 3. Recruitment of troops During his time of being Minister of War, he, together with

7918-423: The nation say, what will the nation say?" Alexandra's failure to have a son made her even more unpopular among the Russians. Nicholas's brother George said that he was disappointed not to have a nephew to relieve him of his duties as heir: "I was already preparing to go into retirement, but it was not to be. On 26 June 1899 Alexandra gave birth to her third child and daughter, Maria . Queen Victoria sent Alexandra

8025-419: The nickname of "Sunny", due to her cheerful disposition, a name adopted later by her husband. Her British relatives nicknamed her as "Alicky", to distinguish her from her aunt-by-marriage, Alexandra , Princess of Wales, who was known within the family as Alix. Alix's godparents were the Prince and Princess of Wales (her maternal uncle and aunt), Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom (her maternal aunt),

8132-493: The original plan completely, the Ruschuk Detachment went completely defensive, with the task of continue protecting the Russian rear. On 14 November, Suleiman Pasha with his men tried strike the Russian Army rear once again, and a decisive battle took place between the Bulgarian villages of Trastenik and Mechka . During the battle, the Ottomans, having superiority in manpower and artilleries, went on an offensive, inflicting

8239-517: The permission of his dying father to summon Alix to the Romanovs' Livadia Palace in Crimea . Escorted by her sister Ella from Warsaw to the Crimea, she traveled by ordinary passenger train. The dying tsar insisted on receiving Alix in full dress uniform and gave her his blessing. On 1 November 1894, Alexander III died at the age of 49. Nicholas was confirmed as Tsar Nicholas II. The next day, Alix

8346-776: The public perception of the Romanovs and fueling rumors about Rasputin's power within the royal family. These associations with Rasputin and her opposition to political reform were seen as contributing factors to the collapse of the Romanov dynasty . Following Nicholas II's abdication, the royal family were placed under house arrest by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution . On 17 July 1918, they were executed by Bolshevik forces in Yekaterinburg , marking

8453-441: The report by [minister of war] Vannovski ; a disgusting impression was left by this news. At 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 we had lunch and then Alix [Czarina] and I went to Khodynka to be present at this sad "national holiday." Actually there was nothing going on: we looked from the pavilion at the huge crowd that surrounded the stage from which the orchestra played all the time the anthem and "Glory." Went to Petrovsky [palace], where at

8560-989: The rest of the siblings survived. She described her childhood before the deaths of her mother and sister as "unclouded, happy babyhood, of perpetual sunshine, then of a great cloud". Queen Victoria doted on the motherless Alix and became a surrogate mother to her. She felt highly protective of Alix and declared that "while I live Alicky, til she is married, will be more than ever my own child." She handpicked Alix's tutors and instructed them to send detailed reports back to Windsor every month. She invited Alix and her surviving siblings to England for their holidays, and they grew close to their British cousins . Every birthday and Christmas, she sent Alix gifts of dresses, jewelry, lace, and dolls. Alix signed herself "your loving and grateful child," rather than grandchild, in her letters. Alix reflected that she saw Queen Victoria as "the best and dearest of grandmamas," "a very august person," "a Santa Clause," and "the dearest and kindest Woman alive." When she

8667-517: The saint. On 19 August Alexandra and Nicholas bathed in the Sarov Spring in which Seraphim had once bathed and prayed that the sacred waters would bless them with a son. In 1904 Alexandra became pregnant. There was high anticipation for a son. As her due date drew near, a newspaper noted that "a few days will decide whether the Czarina is to be the most popular woman in Russia, or regarded by

8774-457: The second in line to the British throne and his brother, the future George V, both of whom were Alexandra's first cousins. In 1889, Victoria invited Alix and Eddy to Balmoral in hopes that they would fall in love. Eddy grew infatuated with her and proposed, but Alix was not interested in him and rejected his proposal. However, Victoria still persisted and tried to convince Alix of the benefits of

8881-431: The stampede, "he did not display the slightest emotion and that night attended a ball given in his honor". Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich warned the tsar not to go to the French ball, but Nicholas II attended nonetheless. Li Hongzhang , China's Imperial Commissioner on a European tour, was the most notable witness. Li was amused and said a Chinese emperor would not have attended the ball. The government distributed

8988-478: The throne, and many liberal government officials of Alexander II were removed from office, including Minister of War Count Milyutin . After Milyutin's dismissal, Vannovsky was appointed manager of the Ministry of War . Russia only has two allies: her army and her navy. -Pyotr Vannovsky In 1862, during the turbulent student protests of Kiev and St. Petersburg, occurring near the Palace Bridge , Vannovsky

9095-459: The villages of Gorsko Ablanovo and Katselovo , but the Russians repulsed them, inflicting huge casualties on the Ottoman. After this decisive battle, the Ottomans did not dare to launch any offensive for a period of time. After some time, the Ottoman high command made a decision to attack the right flank and the center of the Ruschuk Detachment with 28 squadrons and 84 guns, in order to encircle

9202-721: The violent end of over three centuries of Romanov rule. Despite her unpopularity during her reign, Alexandra was canonized as Saint Alexandra the Passion Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000. Alexandra was born on 6 June 1872 at the New Palace in Darmstadt as Princess Alix Viktoria Helene Luise Beatrix of Hesse and by Rhine , a grand duchy then part of the German Empire . She

9309-422: The wedding of her sister Elisabeth to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich in St. Petersburg. At this wedding, the 12-year-old Alix met the 16-year-old Tsesarevich Nicholas , nephew of the groom and heir-apparent to the Imperial throne of Russia. In his diary Nicholas called Alix "sweet little Alix" and declared "we love each other." He gave her a brooch as a sign of his affection, and they scratched their names into

9416-919: The wedding, including Grand Dukes Vladimir, Sergei and Paul, Grand Duchesses Elisabeth Feodorovna and Maria Pavlovna, and Nicholas. Nicholas was determined to persuade Alix to marry him. He was evidently confident in his future success: he brought Father Ioann Yanyshev, confessor to the Imperial family, to teach Alix about Russian Orthodoxy, and he brought Ekaterina Adolfovna Schneider to teach Alix Russian. The day after his arrival in Coburg Nicholas proposed to Alix and tried for two hours to persuade her to convert to Orthodoxy. She wept continuously but refused. Ella spoke to Alix afterwards and she convinced Alix that she did not need to renounce Lutheranism to convert to Orthodoxy. Ella herself had not been required to abjure her Lutheran faith when she converted to Orthodoxy. The next day Alix spoke to Wilhelm II (who hoped that

9523-415: The youngest daughter of an undistinguished grand duke was not worthy to marry the heir to the Russian throne, and she believed that Alix was too tactless and unlikeable to be a successful empress. Alexander favored Princess Hélène of Orléans , the tall, dark-haired daughter of Philippe, Comte de Paris , pretender to the throne of France. Nicholas was not attracted to Hélène, writing in his diary: "Mama made

9630-769: Was a Russian statesman and military leader of Belarusian extraction, who served in the Imperial Russian Army . He was also an honorary member of the Academy of Military Medical , the Mikhailovsky Artillery School, the Mykolaiv Engineering School, the Imperial Academy of Sciences , and a full knight of the Order of St. Vladimir . Born in Kiev into a family of Belarusian landed gentry, Vannovsky chose his career early on in his life and began military schooling. After

9737-580: Was alive. If Alexandra did not bear a son, Nicholas's heirs would be his brothers and uncles. However few worried because Alexandra was only 23, so she was expected to be able to bear a son soon. A few months after giving birth to Olga Alexandra was pregnant again. Owing to the stress of the coronation she had a miscarriage . No announcement was made, because she had not publicly confirmed her pregnancy. However there were unfounded and malicious rumors in St Petersburg that Alexandra had become pregnant by

9844-553: Was appointed adjutant-general and commander of the Eastern (later renamed Northern) Detachment. After he was appointed to the detachment, he used this chance to organize the troops as an independent commander, which would soon prove very useful after he became the Minister of War. After a year or so, he was again appointed commander of the 12th Army Corps, the corps that he commanded prior to the war. In 1881, Alexander III ascended to

9951-529: Was betrothed to Nicholas, Alix assured Victoria that "my marrying will [not] make a difference to my love for You." When Queen Victoria died in 1901, Alix openly wept at her memorial service in Saint Petersburg and shocked the Russian courtiers who considered her cold and unfeeling. Along with her sister, Princess Irene, Alix was a bridesmaid at the 1885 wedding of her godmother and maternal aunt, Princess Beatrice, to Prince Henry of Battenberg . At

10058-476: Was called in to control the students. But he found conditions disagreeable, and released almost all students charged with sedition against the university. The Anarchist Peter Kropotkin opined that, "A military officer had thus to interfere for the defense of the students against the Ministry of Public Instruction." As the Minister of War, the general carry out a strict discipline rule in the army, and life in

10165-443: Was composed of the 12th and the 13th Army Corps , 49 battalions , 19 Cossack divisions and 224 guns. The task of the detachment was to take the small Ottoman towns of Ruse and Nikopol , but when they arrived, they were attacked by the Ottomans and as a result, they went fully defensive, but they could still break through the Ottomans and won significant victories. Later on the Ottomans attempted to launch an offensive between

10272-485: Was deeply involved in the personal and political life of her husband, Tsar Nicholas II. Her reputation suffered due to her influence over Nicholas, particularly in her insistence on maintaining autocratic rule in the face of growing revolutionary pressures in Russia. Her relationship with the Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin became a subject of controversy. Rasputin's alleged ability to alleviate Alexei's suffering from hemophilia increased Alexandra's reliance on him, damaging

10379-418: Was in Russia, anything that reminded her of him would bring her to the verge of tears". Queen Victoria greatly favored Alix and she wanted Alix to become the queen consort of the United Kingdom, which she considered "the greatest position there is." On 2 March 1888, she wrote to Alix's oldest sister Victoria that "My heart and mind are bent on securing dear Alicky for either Eddy or Georgie ", respectively

10486-490: Was initially reluctant to marry Nicholas because she did not want to renounce her Lutheran faith to join the Orthodox Church. She wrote to Nicholas that "I cannot [convert to Orthodoxy] against my conscience" because "What happiness can come from a marriage which begins without the real blessing of God?" Nicholas was devastated, but he remained hopeful because Ella assured him that Alix was "utterly miserable" and had

10593-594: Was insulted and declared that only a gold service was suitable for an empress. She dressed herself "with great magnificence". At the Russian court courtiers mocked for her "dress[ing] in the heavy brocade of which she was so fond, and with diamonds scattered all over her, in defiance of good taste and common sense." Alexandra refused to court the public because she believed that the Russian people automatically loved and revered their emperor and empress. When she and Nicholas were traveling to Crimea by train, hundreds of peasants wore their best clothes and waited overnight to see

10700-542: Was promoted to lieutenant-general and was appointed commander of the 12th Infantry Division , this division consisted of the 46th Infantry Regiment of the Dnieper , the 47th infantry Ukraine regiment, 48th infantry Odessa Emperor Alexander I regiment. General Vannovsky, was an overly uncautious man, but unlike the next generation of his (those who served in WW1 ), he was a well disciplined commander. Constantly going through

10807-431: Was received into the Russian Orthodox Church as "the truly believing Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna." However, she was not required to repudiate Lutheranism. Alix wanted to take the name Yekaterina , but Nicholas wanted her to take the name Alexandra so that they could be a second Nicholas and Alexandra. He was inspired by his great-grandfather Nicholas I and his great-grandmother Alexandra Feodorovna . Alexandra,

10914-446: Was so moved by the tragedy that he wrote the epic tale " Khodynka: An Incident of the Coronation of Nicholas II ". 55°47′14″N 37°31′52″E  /  55.78722°N 37.53111°E  / 55.78722; 37.53111 Alexandra Feodorovna (Alix of Hesse) Alexandra Feodorovna ( Russian : Александра Фёдоровна ; 6 June [ O.S. 25 May] 1872 – 17 July 1918), born Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine ,

11021-526: Was subsequently appointed Minister of War . Vannovsky was one of the most successful Minister of War during the course of the Russian Empire , he was in office during most of the reign of Emperor Alexander III and the early reign of Emperor Nicholas II from 1881 to 1898, he was credited with maintaining order, preventing corruption and reforming the Russian military during his role as the Minister of War. But after Vannovsky resigned, he had warned

11128-480: Was tasked with interrupting the Ottoman communication line between Ruse and Shumen , in order to capture Silistra . In January, they fulfilled the order, interrupting the Ottoman communication between Ruse and Shumen, and captured Silistra. After the battle, Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich offered the Tsesarevich to go on a vacation, he refused and was accepted by the Grand Duke, this would eventually contribute to

11235-430: Was the last Empress of Russia as the consort of Tsar Nicholas II from their marriage on 26 November [ O.S. 14 November] 1894 until his forced abdication on 15 March [ O.S. 2 March] 1917. A granddaughter of Queen Victoria , Alexandra was one of the most famous royal carriers of hemophilia and passed the condition to her son, Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia . Alexandra

11342-709: Was the sixth child and fourth daughter among the seven children of Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse , and his first wife, Princess Alice of the United Kingdom , the second daughter of Queen Victoria . Alix was baptized on 1 July 1872 (her parents' tenth wedding anniversary) in the Protestant Lutheran Church and given the names of her mother and each of her mother's four sisters, some of which were transliterated into German. Her mother wrote to Queen Victoria, "'Alix' we gave for 'Alice' as they murder my name here: 'Ali-ice' they pronounce it, so we thought 'Alix' could not so easily be spoilt." Her mother gave her

11449-520: Was very fond of Vannovsky, whom he took from corps commanders in Kiev; he was the chief of staff at the Emperor, when Alexander III was still the Heir-Tsesarevich and commanded a detachment of troops during the eastern Turkish war. Vannovsky was a personality. He was not a man of great education, not of great culture, but he was a man of determination; firmly devoted to the Emperor; a man of order,

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