Taking the advice of folks, This update will be a slower pace than my usual updates, largely trying to focus this world's Nicholas II and his thoughts on Russia and what it needs to do, Rather than the more "Broad Strokes" Approach (That's what I'll call it at least) that my previous updates were. This doesn't mean Changes to Russia don't occur, they do, its just on a smaller scale than what i have been writing about, and because of that, took me a while longer to write about, despite it being the same length of my past updates, cause well, I'll be Frank, as much as i love this period of Russia History, and just find Russian History interesting in general, my knowledge of it is not extremely deep, so i do appreciate y'alls comments, as some of you, (*cough* *cough* Alexmilman *cough*) seem far more knowledgeable about this period of History. So, yeah, it took me a while to be confidant about the stuff i was writing about to be correct enough, to actually put down on paper and send it to the timeline. (Btw, if anyone has reading material of this era of Russian History, send the name of the book my way). So yeah, Anyways, Onto the Update....
January 1900,
St. Petersburg, The Family had relocated to the Winter Palace for the winter months, and Nicholas had decided to brave the cold that night. As he stood out on the balcony, looking out over the city. Something about it angered him, it angered him greatly. The cause of this anger was cryptic, and the anger in of itself clouded Nicholas’ mind, preventing him from deciphering whatever it was that troubled him. It could just be the city, and its decadence as the Tsarina put it, or it could be Russia as a whole. Nicholas felt compelled to stay in the cold winter wind that night, if only to figure out what in god’s name was troubling him, but his wife was calling him to the bed, and Nicholas knew he needed to heed that call, it was late, cold, and whatever anger this was, was likely irrational. Caught between two desires, one to stay, and the other to leave, Nicholas fiddled with the glass in his hand, turning it in his hand, before letting it fall to the ground below, shattering, a cathartic release of anger, and with that, off he went to bed.
As Nicholas’ mind faded to darkness, dreams overtook whatever anger he had prior, but whatever reason for this anger, seemingly crept its way into these dreams. Dreams were strange creatures, Nicholas felt, he could never visualize what he saw in a dream, sometimes he could barely describe it, but he always could see what he saw when he was dreaming.
This time, Nicholas found himself in a room with a chalkboard in it, something was off however, and as Nicholas looked closer, he noticed numbers written all around the room. In chalk, ink, and even blood, it was the scribblings of a madman, carved into every inch of the room, numbers numbers and even more numbers. Nicholas lunged towards the door, finding himself in some fantastical factory, the door to the classroom was gone, as gears and pistons chugged along, blowing steam into the tsars face, at some rhythmic beat. Nicholas continued forward, as the beat got louder and louder, then there was a voice. Nicholas turned around to see a man who Nicholas would claim to be John D. Rockefeller, he had read about the American Tycoon before. The man said one thing and it was “The Roar of Industry, do you hear it, my boy.” Nicholas heard a roar behind him, only to turn and see a frigid, empty, St. Petersburg, Nicholas turned again, to see the factory, and Rockefeller was gone.
And then there was a rumble, from beneath the earth. Nicholas understood something in that moment, looking over the buildings, only to hear a howl, a great wind blew over the buildings, bringing snow with it. As Nicholas’ eyes squinted, bracing for the cold air, the wind ripped the buildings apart, and Nicholas descended into the madness that was typical for dreams.
He awoke the next day, got dressed, and was ready to face whatever hell the duties of being Tsar brought him. And that turned out to be Witte, coming to talk about his project in China, for the past few weeks, Witte had been discussing with the Tsar about his work on the enhancement of a warm-water port on the Liaodong Peninsula to be used for military purposes, called Port Arthur, and on the Development of Dalin as another warm-water commercial port. Witte rattled off numbers after numbers, until something inside the Tsar snapped. He couldn’t take this conversation anymore, the numbers faded until they came to a lull in the conversation, and then spoke up.
“Witte, What is the importance of these cities, why is it necessary to maintain an impressive pacific fleet, is it to project our power throughout Asia, i just don’t think its necessary, Port Arthur is lackluster in its usefulness and numerous in its faults, our Trade in the pacific isn’t hampered by our current level of ports there. It's just unnecessary”
“Your Imperial Majesty, I would beg to disagree, if you look at the num-”
“Witte, you are an economist, you see things as numbers, but as Tsar i must prioritize these things, Look out that Window Witte, and you’ll see St. Petersburg, I want you to go and look out that window and tell me if you see a city that could pass as a random European city”
Witte walked over to the window, obliging the Tsar, wondering what this tirade would be about going forward. “I do see a city that could pass as such”
“Yes Witte, You see a city that could pass as such, but not one that is such, Do you want to know what i see, I see a Russian city, with a thin veneer of European modernity, When i look out onto Russia, I see my nation, one that is govern by archaic rules that have remained since before the Industrial Age. Do you hear the roar of Industry in Russia, because i don’t, i hear a rumble, but that rumble doesn’t compare to the Americans, the British or the French, it just doesn’t, sure it gets louder everyday, and that's good, we’ve made good progress but it's not enough” The Tsar sat back down, not realizing he had stood up at some point during his monologue, sure he could point out problems in Russia, or problems with what his government was doing, but could he present alternatives was the bigger question. Both he and Witte sat in silence, thinking about what to say next, that was until the Tsar spoke up again.
“Witte, I want you to focus on the Railroads, increase their construction, and talk with some of the Military folks, Russia has delayed the development of a mobilization plan that involves railroads for far too long, include private railroads, get a line to Vladivostok completely within Russian Territory, and get a line to Murmansk, i want these railways cared for, The Americans proved during their war how vital railways are. And on top of that, I want those initial labor reforms we designed, and then diluted so we can gradually put them in place, well I want them put into place now.”
The Tsar got up from his seat and walked away to his Study, and sat down at his desk. He was unsure of how to move forward, and what he needed to do, and then he thought about it, about what he had just said to Witte, and his vague recollection of his dream the night before. Nicholas pondered for about half a moment, before praying, asking God for some advice, and of course, like most prayers, God wouldn’t answer, not directly at least. But Nicholas pulled out his notepad, and began to scribble in some plans, reforms he wished to see, among those were Land Reform, and Military Reform. Nicholas understood that the former should happen, he just didn’t know how to go further, beyond ordering the reparations the former serfs had to pay be decreased to half of what remained of their debts, which he did order. But the latter Nicholas could do something about the Latter.
Roughly a week later, Nicholas arrived at the Nicholas General Staff Academy, which was named after his namesake, Nicholas I. There he talked to several of the students, which wasn’t his purpose, but Nicholas felt a need to congratulate them on arriving and being a member of the Academy. His true purpose there was to further understand the state and focus of Russia’s Military, and its issues according to the Academics at the Academy. He was surprised to learn of the lack of War games at the Academy, and ordered their reinstatement. But there wasn’t much else he learned from the visit, Though a desire from him did grow to read translated works of other Foreign tacticians, if only to better understand the enemy’s thinking. The first of which he would seek being Clauswitz’s On War. However, the visit wasn’t entirely not useful. There he spoke with Alexander F. Rediger, a Professor at the Academy, Nicholas took an inexplicable liking to the Professor, who Nicholas would, as time went on, become friends with as Nicholas consulted with him in private over Military Matters. Something the Professor did point out, was a student at the Academy, a one, Alexander A. Svechin. Nicholas personally congratulated the boy, and when he returned home, wrote the name of him down in his notebook with the tagline, keep an eye on him, next to it.
Returning home that night, Nicholas once again found himself at the balcony, which only a week or so ago, started him on that week’s projects, once again, he carried a glass in his hand, and once again, he looked out to St. Petersburg, but this time he wasn’t angry. He was pulling Russia into the future, or trying to at least. It may have to kick and scream, but it’ll move into the future. Nicholas looked out, and saw not an archaic nation with a veneer of modernity draped over it, but a Nation that would soon become worthy of its Status. And with that thought Nicholas went back to his bed, and that night, his dreams were calm.
) because it made employers fully responsible for the work-related accidents with a compensation for temporary disability equal to 1/2 of an average salary and in the case of incapacitation 2/3rd. Compensation to the families of the killed as a result of an accident also was regulated.
