Best possible reign of Nicholas II?

With hæmophilia, a male child of a carrier has a 50% chance of having the disease. If young Alexei did NOT have hæmophilia, that means Rasputin doesn't rise in power, and removes a lot of distraction from the Tsar. One would think that that would go some way to improving his reign.
Of course, given Nicholaus, being less distracted might mean he had a chance to try more stupid things.... :(
 
Rasputin opposed Russia entering WWI, so his influence couldn't be that bad.
I know, I know, but opposing entering WWI was opposing inevitability, the Great War was in the air in the world, it was bound to happen, give or take a year or two.

You know, up till now common people in Russia believe that Rasputin had a huge penis, and because of that quality he was the lover of tsarina (Nicholas II's wife).
It doesn't matter that was not the case, what people believe - that matters.
That was a shame for monarchy and shattered the system dramatically...
 
If the PoD could be just a few months earlier than the start of his reign, averting the Sino-Japanese War would be a good start; as it is, I'd say either preventing the war with Japan or executing the war better would be the place to start, or failing that, finding a smarter response to the revolution said war started.
 
Have his father and grandfather prepare him better.

Have Alexandra be killed off as a small child.

Stay out of wars.

Here's an idea, assassinate his father and have his Grandfather raise him for another 10-15 years.
This might work. Honestly, I think Nicholas had the best reign he could given who he was and who he married. You're going to have to change both if he has any chance of dying peacefully in his bed.
 
You don't have to kill off Alexandra - just make her refuse to convert from the faith of her birth. That stops the marriage dead. If she does not convert (have the advisor NOT tell her it's okay, but a fast track to Hell), Nicholas cannot marry her. Conversion was a requirement for the wedding to take place. It was delayed because of her dithering over the subject.

Either that, or have her decide immediately that she'll convert. This means they wed sooner and have different children - hopefully the first will be Michael, the non-hemophaelia stricken heir. The second son can be the stricken boy.......
 
but, a different wife - one who was not so shy and obviously insecure (which came off as snobbish) - is your best bet.
 
Since the thread asks that Nicholas still be Nicholas, we should avoid any grand changes like have him listen to Yermolov and implement the Stolypin reforms in 1895.

Instead, let's turn to small things that could have gone either way-

Adopt Admiral Loman's idea to concentrate on the Pacific and Makarov's 50% supieror doctrine over Japan.

Accept Kuropatkin's idea that the circumbaikal be given priority over the South Manchurian railway

Fully fund Tyrpov's 1898 fleet expansion and keep to the 1903 completion date instead of stretching it out to 1895

Do not take funds from Port Arthur's fortifications to build Dalny

There are dozens of other very small changes that we could do that would mean a Russian victory in the far East and allow Nicholas to keep to his original foreign policy of status quo in Europe
 
Adopt Admiral Loman's idea to concentrate on the Pacific and Makarov's 50% supieror doctrine over Japan.

Accept Kuropatkin's idea that the circumbaikal be given priority over the South Manchurian railway

Fully fund Tyrpov's 1898 fleet expansion and keep to the 1903 completion date instead of stretching it out to 1895

Do not take funds from Port Arthur's fortifications to build Dalny

There are dozens of other very small changes that we could do that would mean a Russian victory in the far East and allow Nicholas to keep to his original foreign policy of status quo in Europe
No, no.... avoid war with Japan at all costs. John's got it right here
If the PoD could be just a few months earlier than the start of his reign, averting the Sino-Japanese War would be a good start; as it is, I'd say either preventing the war with Japan or executing the war better would be the place to start, or failing that, finding a smarter response to the revolution said war started.

First of all, do not support Germany or France in the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_Intervention if possible, though this may be too far along by the time Nico assumes the thrown. If Russia has taken Port Arthur, use it as a bargaining chip to thwart the Anglo-Japan alliance of 1902. This is the height of the Great Game, and annoying Britain and causing worry over India is Russia's top foreign policy ploy of the time.

There's no reason Japan can't be an economic partner with Russia. Finish the railway to Vladivostok and Ryojun (ex-Port Arthur) and then sign an economic pact with Japan to send Japanese goods along the Russian railway. What Japanese goods you ask? Well, now's the chance for Russia to help Japan industrialize.

There's nothing of value for Russia in the Pacific, stay out of wars with Japan. In fact do not build a navy at all, beyond a Baltic-like coastal force. Focus on your citizen's well being or at least their productivity.
-Discourage Serbian terrorism in the pre-WWI years.
Agreed. In fact, publicly and privately tell the Serbs they're on their own if they attack Austro-Hungarian interests.
You don't have to kill off Alexandra - just make her refuse to convert from the faith of her birth. That stops the marriage dead.
Have Nico marry a Russian woman of good birth and health, not some German outsider. Think of the Russian women we all know, beautiful (well, until they turn round in their 40s), powerfully strong in character and tough.
 
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No, no.... avoid war with Japan at all costs.

First of all, do not support Germany or France in the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_Intervention if possible, though this may be too far along by the time Nico assumes the thrown. If Russia has taken Port Arthur, use it as a bargaining chip to thwart the Anglo-Japan alliance of 1902.

There's no reason Japan can't be an economic partner with Russia. Finish the railway to Vladivostok and Ryojun (ex-Port Arthur) and then sign an economic pact with Japan to send Japanese goods along the Russian railway. What Japanese goods you ask? Well, now's the chance for Russia to help Japan industrialize.

There's nothing of value for Russia in the Pacific, stay out of wars with Japan. In fact do not build a navy at all, beyond a Baltic-like coastal force. Focus on your citizen's well being or at least their productivity.


That's not Nicholas being Nicholas We're trying to keep to the general outline. Expansion is a natural impulse at the time and really, is just letting Japan have the Pacific a realistic policy?
 
Expansion is a natural impulse at the time and really, is just letting Japan have the Pacific a realistic policy?
Nico and Russia can still have eastward expansion. Finish the railway to Vladivostok early, instead of IOTL completing the link in 1916. Japan does not get the Pacific, that ocean is already shared with Britain, France, Holland and the USA. If Russia wants to play in the Pacific, then base your fleet at Vladivostok and invest in some ice breakers (as it does today, IOTL). By 1917 Russia had the most powerful ice breaker in the world https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krassin_(1917_icebreaker) - just get more of these and Vladivostok is good to go, plus you can always lease some berthing space from France, China or Japan.

But really, any sensible advisor would have told Nico that Russia has no beef with Japan, and instead this presents an opportunity to thumb the eye of Britain.
 
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