The Fall of the Dynasties: The Collapse of the Old Order: 1905-1922

by Edmond Taylor

rupture with Cousin Willy. Late that night, after drinking a glass of tea and chatting with the Czarina, who was already in bed, he decided to take a bath. He had just lowered himself into the tub when a footman knocked on the door to inform him that there was an urgent personal telegram from his Majesty, the German Kaiser. “I read the telegram, I reread it, I repeated it out loud to myself, but still I did not understand,” Nicholas subsequently related to the French Ambassador. “What, Wilhelm pretends that it is still in my power to avoid war? He implores me not to let my troops cross the border ... Have I gone mad? Has not the Court Minister, my old Fredericks, brought me less than six hours ago the declaration of war handed to Sazonov by the German Ambassador? I returned to the Czarina’s room and read her Wilhelm’s telegram. She wanted to read it herself to believe it, and said, ‘You will not reply to it, will you?’ ‘No indeed.’ ... On leaving the Czarina’s room I felt that all was finished for ever between Wilhelm and myself. I slept soundly.”