I purchased The Fate of the Romanovs a few months ago, due entirely to the glowing recommendations of many people on this forum. Admittedly, I would otherwise not have purchased it, as I thought I had read all there is to know on the Tsar and his family, and at this point I am more interested in photograph books about them, but the promise of new and even controversial information intrigued me. Well, I was not disappointed with the book and would like to list some of the points that most drew my attention, in no particular order of importance:
1 – The most compelling and memorable part of the book for me is the incredibly detailed massacre scene. This is simply the most painstakingly meticulous depiction of the murder of the Imperial family and their servants that I have ever read, anywhere. It is very graphic and disturbing, but if anything, it makes me feel for them even more. It is surely a far cry from the scene described in Nicholas and Alexandra, where Massie writes, “Olga, Tatiana, and Marie, standing behind their mother, were hit and died quickly.” We now know that the girls unfortunately did not die quickly. I was aware of this fact before reading FOTR, but I had no idea how much they truly suffered. It is a very haunting image that still disturbs me, as it completely dispels any hope that, if they had to die, then at least their deaths could have been relatively quick and painless. I sometimes find myself looking at pictures of the girls as small children and flashing forward to that horrible death scene, and feeling so sorry for them knowing what was to come.
2- I was surprised at some of the remarks that Nicholas made with regards to Jews and demonstrators. I know that these were his perceived enemies, but some of the comments are outright chilling and, frankly, disturbing. It is no surprise to me that Nicholas was anti-Semitic, a fact that I could forgive him for due to his being a product of a time and place where such ignorant attitudes prevailed, but the quotes in the book seem so cold, for instance: “Reading a report that Cossacks in Saratov had ‘unfortunately’ beaten a group of doctors suspected of assisting local peasants, Nicholas underlined the word ‘unfortunately,’ added a question mark, and wrote, ‘Very well done!’” (pg. 38); “Hearing that a revolt in the Caucasus had passed without bloodshed, Nicholas replied, ‘That is no good! In such cases one must always shoot!’” (pg. 38); “In the Baltic provinces, a certain Lieutenant Captain Richter began, on his own authority, to execute suspects without benefit of trials or even official arrests; learning this, Nicholas commented, ‘What a fine fellow!’” (pg. 38). Also, the fact that Nicholas seemed satisfied at the outcome of the Easter Massacre at Kishinev in 1903, where fifty Jews were dragged from their houses and murdered in the streets, with the Emperor’s knowledge and support (pg. 39). I have read the thread on Nicholas’s anti-Semitism before and I know that he eventually began to change his attitudes, but these comments put him in a very unfavorable light. Like I said, I know he was a product of his time and place, and that we cannot judge 19th century people by 21st century standards, when people know that racism is wrong, but it is still a rather difficult fault to acknowledge in a man that was otherwise perceived to be so good and gentle.
Similarly, there was the revelation of Alexei as a sometimes downright spoiled brat. For instance, an eyewitness who lived near Livadia described how the heir “liked to greet people who bowed to him with a bloody nose by hitting them in the face as they bowed,” and when he was not allowed to do that, he greeted them with “very bad language” instead. I had read this account before and it does not make the child seem very likeable, but I know that he eventually outgrew such behavior and was generally an agreeable and sensitive person. Although somewhat disappointed at Alexei’s bad behavior, I cannot fault him for it, because what else would you expect from a child who felt so exalted and indulged from his earliest years, and who was rarely punished or disciplined.
