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

by Edmond Taylor

On the contrary she was eager for a showdown with Parliament; her ultimate goal, shaped for her by Rasputin and Manasevich-Manuilov was to dissolve the Duma, to scrap the Constitution of 1905 and to establish a neoabsolutist regime with some demagogic features. Alexandra does not seem to have taken her husband fully into her confidence, but her general intention is clear from the tone of the letters to him during the month of December 1916: “Now comes your reign of will and iron ... The good is coming, the turn has begun ... We must give a strong country to Baby and dare not be weak for his sake ... draw the reins in tightly which you let loose... Russia loves to feel the whip ... How I wish I could pour my will into your veins ... I suffer over you as over a tender, soft-hearted child... Be the Emperor, be peter the Great, Ivan the Terrible, the Emperor Paul — crush them all under you — Now don’t you laugh, naughty one ... Send Lvov [Prince George Lvov, one of the liberal leaders of the Duma] to Siberia ... Milyukov, Guchov and Polivanov also to Siberia.” One letter is signed, “Russia’s mother, blessed by Our Friend.” One of Nicholas’ replies expresses “Tender thanks for the severe written scolding ... your poor little weak-willed hubby.”

What a wimp Russia had as a king