Nicholas and Alexandra

25 “I cannot really believe she is gone”: ibid., 90. Alexandra destroyed Victoria’s letters: ibid., 91.

26 Alexandra terrified at a ball: ibid., 58

27 Silent and cold: ibid., 58–9.

28 “The heads of the young ladies”: Vyrubova, 4; Botkin, 26.

29 The decollete dress: Botkin, 26.

30 Ladies refuse to knit: Vyrubova, 5. The family antagonized: Buxhoeveden, 60.

31 Alexandra and Marie compared: Alexander, 169. No way to make friends: Buxhoeveden, 59.

32 To the real Russians, she was Matushka: Pares, 55.

CHAPTER 7 TWO REVOLUTIONARIES

 1 Simbirsk: Kerensky, Crucifixion, 3; Fischer, 5; Payne, 47; Wolfe, I, 38.

 2 “From the summit”: Kerensky, Crucifixion, 3.

 3 Ilya Ulyanov: Wolfe, I, 45; Fischer, 6–8; Payne, 62. “Sadly buttoned on his official’s uniform”: Fischer, 8.

 4 Chess: Fischer, 8. “Excellent in everything”: ibid., 7; Payne, 53. Ilya’s death: Fischer, 9; Payne, 62; Wolfe, I, 52.

 5 Bomb inside a medical dictionary: Wolfe, I, 69; Payne, 68.

 6 “I tried to kill the Tsar”: Payne, 70. “Have courage. Have courage”: Fischer, 11.

 7 “The execution of such a brother”: Kerensky, Crucifixion, 6.

 8 “Undoubtedly a very gifted person”: Fischer, 12. “Go and do what Mama asks”: ibid., 12.

 9 Vladimir’s graduation: Wolfe, I, 60. Blue uniform: Kerensky, Crucifixion, 60.

10 “Very gifted, always neat”: ibid., 10.

11 Vladimir expelled from Kazan University: Fischer, 18. The farm: Payne, 83. “My relations with the moujiks”: Wolfe, I, 95.

12 Reading law: Payne, 82; Wolfe, I, 96. Failure as a lawyer: Payne, 89; Wolfe, I, 96. Reading Marx: Wolfe, I, 108–9; Fischer, 20.

13 To St. Petersburg: Wolfe, I, 111; Payne, 93. “Vladimir Ilyich laughed”: Fischer, 22. Vladimir abroad: Payne, 105–7.

14 False-bottomed trunk: Payne, 108. “Of course, if you start right away talking against the Tsar”: Fischer, 31.

15 Political exiles: Payne 111–13. To Shushenskoe: Fischer, 31–2; Payne, 111; Wolfe, I, 159–62.

16 Life in Shushenskoe: Fischer, 32–3; Payne, 127–8. “A tragicomic condition”: Fischer, 33.

17 “It was like living in an enchanted kingdom”: Payne, 128.

18 “The hereditary noble, Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov”: Fischer, 34.

19 “Lenin”: Wolfe, I, 183.

20 “Nicholas the Bloody”: Fischer, 37.

21 London: Payne, 155–67; Fischer, 22, 38.

22 Lenin’s growing dominance: Fischer, 42–3; Payne, 170.

23 The Brussels conference: Fischer, 39. “Rats and fleas”: Wolfe, I, 286.

24 Crossed the channel: ibid., 296.

25 The split, Bolsheviks and Mensheviks: Payne, 174; Fischer, 40–1; Wolfe, I, 301–2.

26 “Of this dough, Robespierres are made”: Wolfe, I, 302.

27 “Lenin … Asiatic ‘elemental force’ “: Kerensky, Crucifixion, 13.

28 Fedor Kerensky: ibid., 58–9,

29 “From my earliest glimpses”: ibid., 59. “I see myself in early childhood”: ibid., 58.

30 “A church bell-ringer”: ibid., 61. “My youthful adoration of the Tsar”: ibid., 65. “I doubt whether higher education”: ibid., 84.

31 Narodniks and Marxists: ibid., 112. “This highly respectable pastime”: ibid., 116.

32 “It was Easter”: ibid., 162.

CHAPTER 8 THE KAISER’S ADVICE

 1 The Kaiser’s encouragement of Russia’s advance in the Far East: Izvolsky, 24, 48; Pares, 67.

 2 William’s appearance: Balfour, 139. His mustache: ibid., 138. His left arm: ibid., 74; Cowles, 9. His powerful grip: Balfour, 139. 86 In love with Princess Elizabeth: Cowles, 47–8.

 3 “The Kaiser is like a balloon”: Balfour, 126.

 4 “Nonsense!” “Lies!”: ibid., 159. A friendly smack on the backside: Mosolov, 203. “Talking all the more rapidly”: Balfour, 145. “If the Kaiser laughs”: ibid., 138.

 5 “The All Highest”: Cowles, 77. African skulls: Balfour, 159.

 6 “You ask how Willy was”: ibid., 111. “Picklehaube German soldier”: Cowles, 124.

 7 “We are obliged to let him”: N to MF, 120. “Thank God the German visit is over”: ibid., 121.

 8 Alexandra’s dislike of William: Mosolov, 203.

 9 “Without the lumbering and indiscreet apparatus”: Pares, 166. “The task set us by the Lord of Lords”: ibid., 166.

10 “The people will fall on their knees”: ibid., 167. “More speeches and more parades”: Botkin, 103.

11 “It is not the friendship of France and Russia”: Mansergh, 63–4.

12 “You must know, my men”: ibid., 55. “Clearly, it is the great task of the future”: ibid., 52; Pares, 167; Balfour, 189.

13 “The Admiral of the Atlantic”: Mosolov, 203.

14 “Russia has nothing to do in the West”: Pares, History, 423.

15 “We must try to tie Russia down in East Asia”: Balfour, 189. “Glad news”: N to MF, 130.

16 “It is evident to every unbiased mind”: Pares, 168.

17 “A small victorious war”: Witte, 250. New Year’s Day, 1904: Harcave, 37.

18 “I am still in good hopes”: Mansergh, 103. “Nicholas is doing himself a lot of harm”: ibid., 104.

19 Admiral Alexeiev’s telegram: N to MF, 171–2. N’s Diary, 157.

20 “Sharp grief for the fleet”: ibid., 159.

21 The opposing armies and navies: Pares, History, 440.

22 “News of inexpressible sadness”: N’s Diary, 162.

23 “My conscience is often very troubled”: N to MF, 173.

24 Alexandra at the Winter Palace: Vyrubova, 9.

25 Rozhdestvensky’s pessimism: Kokovtsov, 46.

26 “Bless its voyage, Lord”: N’s Diary, 179.

27 Dogger Bank: Novikoff-Priboy, 26–32.

28 “The English are very angry”: N to MF, 174.

29 Buying extra battleships: Kokovtsov, 46–9.

30 Tsushima: Novikoff-Priboy, passim. Mahan, 82–4, 263–82; Florinsky, 1276; Pares, History, 445; Charques, 117.

31 Nicholas learns of Tsushima: Mosolov, 14–15.

32 “When a sewer has to be cleaned”: Kokovtsov, 53.

33 “Representative of the greatest empire on earth”: Witte, 138–9.

34 “I may say that I succeeded”: ibid., 140.