quoting wikipedia:
Suppose that Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt dies in infancy and Nicholas II never meets her and falls in love with her. Either that, or her parents have sex three seconds later than IOTL to produce, in Nicholas II's eyes, the most God-ugly obnoxious woman that the young Tsarevich has ever laid eyes on.
And so, to cement Franco-Russian ties, Tsarevich Nicholas marries with Hélene d'Orleans. Would there be any consequences for Russia or Russian politics or do you think that Russia would fare roughly the same course? AFAIK, Hélene was not a carrier of haemophilia and so we won't get any problems with the alternate TL's Tsarevich who will most likely grow up to be a healthy young man and heir to the Russian throne.
quoting wikipedia again. Not the most reliable source, I know
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Because of the alternate marriage and the resulting non-haemophilica Alexei (or whatever he will be called ITTL), there will be no Rasputin in the Russian court since he's not needed for his healing powers and will therefore likely remain an obscure, local historical/legendary healer figure, a footnote in Russian history. Subsequently, Rasputin cannot influence Nicholas II through his wife. Does this cause any significant changes compared to OTL? I see one that might be important: in 1915 Rasputin told Nicky that he would win the war if he assumed command IIRC. AFAIK, Nicholas didn't have any experience in modern warfare and this turned into a disaster for the Russian army.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
Against the initial wishes of his parents, Nicholas was determined to marry Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt, the fourth daughter of Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, second eldest daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. His parents intended a more politically beneficial arrangement with Princess Hélène, daughter of Philippe, comte de Paris, pretender to the French throne, hoping to cement Russia's new alliance with France, but eventually yielded to their son's insistence.
Suppose that Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt dies in infancy and Nicholas II never meets her and falls in love with her. Either that, or her parents have sex three seconds later than IOTL to produce, in Nicholas II's eyes, the most God-ugly obnoxious woman that the young Tsarevich has ever laid eyes on.
And so, to cement Franco-Russian ties, Tsarevich Nicholas marries with Hélene d'Orleans. Would there be any consequences for Russia or Russian politics or do you think that Russia would fare roughly the same course? AFAIK, Hélene was not a carrier of haemophilia and so we won't get any problems with the alternate TL's Tsarevich who will most likely grow up to be a healthy young man and heir to the Russian throne.
quoting wikipedia again. Not the most reliable source, I know
The Tsar referred to Rasputin as "our friend" and a "holy man", a sign of the trust that the family had placed in him. Rasputin had a considerable personal and political influence on Alexandra[11], and the Tsar and Tsaritsa considered him a man of God and a religious prophet. Alexandra came to believe that God spoke to her through Rasputin. Of course, this relationship can also be viewed in the context of the very strong, traditional, age-old bond between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian leadership. Another important factor was probably the Tsaritsa's German-Protestant origin: she was definitely highly fascinated by her new Orthodox outlook — the Orthodox religion puts a great deal of faith in the healing powers of prayer.
Because of the alternate marriage and the resulting non-haemophilica Alexei (or whatever he will be called ITTL), there will be no Rasputin in the Russian court since he's not needed for his healing powers and will therefore likely remain an obscure, local historical/legendary healer figure, a footnote in Russian history. Subsequently, Rasputin cannot influence Nicholas II through his wife. Does this cause any significant changes compared to OTL? I see one that might be important: in 1915 Rasputin told Nicky that he would win the war if he assumed command IIRC. AFAIK, Nicholas didn't have any experience in modern warfare and this turned into a disaster for the Russian army.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
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