Alexei and Tad Lincoln

If you believe in reincarnation or even the influence of one person's spirit over another, the parallels between Alexei and Tad Lincoln are myriad.  They even looked somewhat alike.

 Interesting comparison!  I have always felt there was one between Mary Todd Lincoln and Alexandra not so much physical but their lives.


Azrael

Yes, Mary Todd Lincoln and Empress Alexandra were both extremely devoted mothers, if misguided by some standards, subject to public dislike and ridicule and probably sadly maligned and misunderstood.  Both intelligent and well-read.  Alexandra looked to Olga to keep Alexei in line as Mary looked to Julia Taft to keep Willie and Tad in line.  Both were extremely reluctant to impose real discipline on their sons.

 Not only that but they both lost mothers around the same age.

Azrael

Their marriage dates are within ten days of each other and death dates within two days--different years, of course.  And it would seem that to be married in midsummer and die in late fall would be much more common than the other way around which they did.

Mary Todd Lincoln called Tad "our little troublesome sunshine" and Empress Alexandra called Alexei "sunbeam."

OK, this could be an idiotic question but who is Tad lincoln

Tad Lincoln was the youngest son of American president Abraham Lincoln who was president during the Civil War. He died at the age of 18 from Consumption. He had 3 older brothers Robert the only one who lived to adulthood, Eddie who died at 4 and Willie who died in the White House of Typhoid Fever at 11. Willie was the most intelligent of the children and the most loved by his parents.

There are many sites on the Lincoln family Google the name.

Thanks, that was my best geuss. I didnt know he had any sons. Does he have any relo's alive today?

Sadly there are no decedents of Abraham Lincoln today. His line died out in 1985.

Any similarities cease early in the comparison. Mary was mentally ill from early in her life, and she wasn't overly obsessed and protective of her children where she ended up stifling them. I think her over protectiveness grew as son after son died, but it still never went as far as Alix. Mary was hated but she put in some work to not fan the flames of hatred towards her. I sometimes think Mary understood the feelings of people being wary of her because of where she was born, but she did make statements asserting her allegiance to the North and that she had no affinity for the south despite her family members fighting for them. Perhaps Mary was just better at the PR game than Alexandra, or maybe Alix just had too much hatred built up against her for too many years.
Alexandra was a difficult personality but she wasn't bi-polar like Mary perhaps was, even despite Mary's mental illnesses she worked hard to do the job she found herself in and be of help to her husband. Both Mary and Alix were possessive of their husbands though but, perhaps because of the difference between being a Tsar and a President, Mary didn't work to alienate her husband from his work and the people he worked with and rely only on her. She also didn't try to be the President nor think she was more capable to be President than her husband or the men around him. 
As for comparisons between Tad and Alexei, I would have to look into that because from the little I can think off the top of my head, they don't have much in common. I don't recall Tad being a particularly sick child, but I could be wrong about that.

..... Mary didn't work to alienate her husband from his work and the people he worked with and rely only on her.

I agree , but I think it had alot to do with Lincoln's firmess about the matter.... as we see in his loyal adherence to his law partner,( Billy) who Mary did not like at all and wish he would  remove himself from . But the comradeity of such men in Lincoln's professional world was life and breathe to Lincoln.  If Alex tried to take Nicholas away from what he loved, the troops, the officers messes and the military reviews, we might have seen similar firmness on Nicky's part.

Another common point between the two women is intense spiritualisam...I believe at least one séance was conducted at the White House....Mary certainly attended them else where. Lincoln said they  reminded him of a meeting of his cabinet "much noise but no conclusions  being reached " lol ( I'm paraphrasing that quote )

Here is the list of Abraham Lincoln's descendants who lived died out in 1985.

Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith (July 19, 1904 – December 24, 1985) was the great-grandson of Abraham Lincoln.[1] In 1975, he became the last undisputed descendant of Lincoln when his sister, "Peggy" Beckwith, died without children.[2]

His grandfather was Robert Todd Lincoln who had three children:  

Mary "Mamie" Lincoln (October 15, 1869 – November 21, 1938)
Abraham Lincoln II (nicknamed "Jack") (August 14, 1873 – March 5, 1890)
Jessie Harlan Lincoln (November 6, 1875 – January 4, 1948)


Of Robert's children, Jessie Harlan Lincoln Beckwith (1875–1948) had two children, Mary Lincoln Beckwith ["Peggy" 1898 – 1975] and Robert ("Bud") Todd Lincoln Beckwith (1904–1985), neither of whom had children of their own.

Robert's other daughter, Mary Todd Lincoln ("Mamie") (1869–1938) married Charles Bradley Isham in 1891. They had one son, Lincoln Isham (1892–1971). Lincoln Isham married Leahalma Correa in 1919, but died without children.

The last person known to be of direct Lincoln lineage, Robert's grandson "Bud" who was the son of Jessie mentioned about.  Bud died in 1985 without children.

BlessOTMA, you are right, a lot of the reason that Mary didn't cause as many problems with her husband as opposed to Alexandra was because Abraham had a firmness about him and if need be would be firm with his wife. Despite his mental problems I would assume that Lincoln had a sense of confidence in himself and his abilities which unfortunately Nicholas did not have.
This might add a little to explaining Mary's seance's but I recall that she didn't start those until her son, I believe it was Tad, died; so they were a means to try to maintain contact with him. With Alexandra' she was called "fanatical" but I just think she was trying desperately to find comfort in her new religion in the absence of the one she had left behind.

..This might add a little to explaining Mary's seance's but I recall that she didn't start those until her son, I believe it was Tad, died; so they were a means to try to maintain contact with him.

That's interesting. I thought it started earlier,  after Willies's death...in the 1860's . Because of the war, séances would  be in vogue

With Alexandra' she was called "fanatical" but I just think she was trying desperately to find comfort in her new religion in the absence of the one she had left behind.

Sadly she was driven to extraordinary in the pursuit of a son though religion and then later ,even further along those lines in the pursuit of saving her son. What is more sad is even without the war or revolution...her son could not rule , his health would not permit it. The throne was going to another branch of the family regardless of all the praying and the insistence they do not " give away baby's inheritance !" What inheritance ? Tragic  [/quote]