A different fate for Nicky...

[robertp6165]

I just watched a program on National Geographic about the controversy surrounding the discovery of the remains of Tsar Nicholas II and his family in the 1990s. Toward the end of the program, it was mentioned that the White Russian forces had sent a rescue expedition to Ekaterinburg to rescue the Imperial family. The expedition arrived seven days too late, and Nicholas and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks.

But what if the expedition had moved with a bit more celerity and had successfully rescued the Imperial family? This brings to mind some interesting questions.

1) Would the survival of the Romanovs have made a difference to the outcome of the Russian Civil War?

2) Assuming the Whites still lose, and the Romanovs escape to exile, where would they go? What roles would they play in the events of the upcoming decades?

3) Is there any possibility that an heir of Nicholas could be restored to the Russian throne at the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s?

Any other thoughts?

 

[Don_Giorgio]

I highly doubt it... if the bolshevics guarding the former Imperial family saw just one White soldier around the area they would have killed all of the Imperial family right on the spot just in case...
They wouldnt risk to give away any of the family members...

 

[Max Sinister]

Maybe if they had managed to surround the city, cut it off from the rest of Bolshevik-controlled area, they could've sent them a message "Give us the Imperial family, but if even one of them is missing, you all die!"

 

[MerryPrankster]

I highly doubt it... if the bolshevics guarding the former Imperial family saw just one White soldier around the area they would have killed all of the Imperial family right on the spot just in case...
They wouldnt risk to give away any of the family members...

Key phrase: "If they saw..."

If the Whites were sneaky enough (say a bunch of infiltrators in Bolshevik uniforms), that would cause problems with that.

 

[MerryPrankster]

Maybe if they had managed to surround the city, cut it off from the rest of Bolshevik-controlled area, they could've sent them a message "Give us the Imperial family, but if even one of them is missing, you all die!"

That might be workable too, although the Bolsheviks tended to be a fanatical lot, particularly the ones holding the Imperial family.

(at least according to the movie "Nicholas and Alexandra," the radicals in Ekatinburg essentially took the Romanovs at gunpoint from a detachment taking them to Moscow for trial)

 

[Hapsburg]

1) Would the survival of the Romanovs have made a difference to the outcome of the Russian Civil War?

Probably. The Whites might be able to hold onto some small bite of Russian heartland, with the Emperor was rallying-standard.

2) Assuming the Whites still lose, and the Romanovs escape to exile, where would they go?

Since Germany, etc. would not take them...
Probably flee across the steppe landscape, to China, and via Tibet, to British India.
Travelling incognito, of course.

What roles would they play in the events of the upcoming decades?

Imploring Russian people to resist the Bolsheviks. They'd collaborate with the Nazis, if they even came around.

3) Is there any possibility that an heir of Nicholas could be restored to the Russian throne at the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s?

I doubt it. Although, it depends on how swift and hard the anti-communist movement is within the USSR in the 1990s.

If the Whites were sneaky enough (say a bunch of infiltrators in Bolshevik uniforms), that would cause problems with that.

You just gave an awesome idea for an awesome FPS.

 

[robertp6165]

I highly doubt it... if the bolshevics guarding the former Imperial family saw just one White soldier around the area they would have killed all of the Imperial family right on the spot just in case...
They wouldnt risk to give away any of the family members...

The question was not whether or not the Imperial family could have been rescued. The stated POD is that they ARE rescued. Any thoughts on the results of the actual POD?

 

[robertp6165]

Probably. The Whites might be able to hold onto some small bite of Russian heartland, with the Emperor was rallying-standard.

Of course, it could have the opposite effect..."Oh no, the Whites are going to put the Tsar back in power...Long live the Revolution...to arms!"

Since Germany, etc. would not take them...
Probably flee across the steppe landscape, to China, and via Tibet, to British India.
Travelling incognito, of course.

Why would Germany or other European countries not take them? In OTL a lot of Romanov and White Russian refugees ended up in various western European countries.
However, I can easily see them taking up residence in Britain, under the protection of their relatives, the British royals.

Imploring Russian people to resist the Bolsheviks.

I agree. With a "government in exile" to rally around, might resistance to the Reds during the 1920s and 1930s be a lot more troublesome?

They'd collaborate with the Nazis, if they even came around.

Not so sure about this. For one thing, its not at all certain that Hitler would want to collaborate with the Tsar...even if the Tsar would want to collaborate with Hitler. And since it is probably likely that they will be in Britain, it might not be easy for them to do so anyway.

I doubt it. Although, it depends on how swift and hard the anti-communist movement is within the USSR in the 1990s.

Well, if the Tsar and his heirs can keep their noses clean (no collaboration with the Nazis), they might very well be active in the anti-Communist activities of the West during the Cold War, and serve as a focus of anti-communism in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. In that case, a restoration might be somewhat likely.

 

[Guildencrantz]

I think if the white Army loses, they would flee to japan, and then, America or the UK. Amd in the confusion from the collapse of the soviet union, one Czar in exile with enough mercinares could easily wind up as the king of russia.

 

[Hapsburg]

Of course, it could have the opposite effect..."Oh no, the Whites are going to put the Tsar back in power...Long live the Revolution...to arms!"

Yeah, in retrospect, that seems more likely.

Why would Germany or other European countries not take them?

Nicky tried to flee earlier, after the war ended, but the Germans refused him. So did Britain, and others. At least, at first. He was captured soon after and imprisoned, IIRC.

However, I can easily see them taking up residence in Britain, under the protection of their relatives, the British royals.

I agree. With a "government in exile" to rally around, might resistance to the Reds during the 1920s and 1930s be a lot more troublesome?

Both quite likely. Britain might take them, if they consider what the Emperor went through to get there.
Although the Whites might not have permanent base of attack, they could perform partisan activity. Considering how vast the USSR was, it's not impossible that they'd never be caught.

In that case, a restoration might be somewhat likely.

Maybe. If it happens in other Ex-Communist states, it'd be just that much more likely in Russia. By the 1990s, most of the painful scars of the Tsardom would be healed, hopefully.

 

[HurganPL]

Although the Whites might not have permanent base of attack, they could perform partisan activity. Considering how vast the USSR was, it's not impossible that they'd never be caught.

Being totalitarian Soviets crushed every uprising and partisan activity succesfully.
As to the event-a bone doesn't care which of the dogs wins the fight to eat it.

and serve as a focus of anti-communism in the Soviet Union during the Cold War

Soviets would like that, they could use atrocities and mass murderers of the tzars despotic empire to claim protection from its evils.

 

[Baron von Feldspar]

If the Tsar takes up residence in Britian after laying a guilt trip on his cousin and his cousin's gov't his presence will cause complication in WWII. With a viable czarist pretender the diplomatic rehabilition of the soviets will take longer.

WWII
White Russian Squadrons in the RAF
no very good relations with Stalin

this could make WWII a lot longer and harder (get your mind out the gutter).

 

[RKO General]

What happens with his kids?
Tatiana and Maria for examplw were real beauties according to most accounts - any thoughts on possible husbands?