Author Topic: What was Alexeis reaction to the Tsar abdicating for himself and for Alexei?  (Read 8845 times)

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Princess_Ella

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I don't know if this has been asked, I coundn't find the thread for it. But is there any historical evidence on Alexei's reaction when he found out Nicholas abdicated for the two of them?

Theres only 2 movies were i see a reason and that is, Nicholas and Alexandra, he asked his father why he (Nicholas) abdicated for him, but in The Romanovs: An imperial family, he kind of seems confused.

I'm curious if there is any evidence to his true response.

Offline nena

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Yes, he was indeed confused. The quote can be found in Pierre Gilliard memories, since the Empress asked the tutor to slowly describe the new situation to the Heir.

Three days passed. At half-past ten on the morning of the 21st Her Majesty summoned me and told me that General Kornilov had been sent by the Provisional Government to inform her that the Tsar and herself were under arrest and that all those who did not wish to be kept in close confinement must leave the palace before four o'clock. I replied that I had decided to stay with them.
"The Tsar is coming back tomorrow. Aleksey must be told everything. Will you do it? I am going to tell the girls myself."
It was easy to see how she suffered when she thought of the grief of the Grand-Duchesses on hewing that their father had abdicated. They were ill, and the news might make them worse.
I went to Aleksey Nicolaievich and told him that the Tsar would be returning from Mohilev next morning and would never go back there again.
"Why?"
"Your father does not want to be Commander-in-Chief any more."
He was greatly moved at this, as he was very fond of going to G.H.Q.
After a moment or two I added:
"You know your father does not want to be Tsar any more, Aleksey Nicolaievich."
He looked at me in astonishment, trying to read in my face what had happened.
"What! Why?"
"He is very tired and has had a lot of trouble lately."
"Oh yes! Mother told me they stopped his train when he wanted to come here. But won't papa be Tsar again afterwards ?"
I then told him that the Tsar had abdicated in favour of the Grand Duke Michael, who had also renounced the throne.
"But who's going to be Tsar, then?"
"I don't know. Perhaps nobody now."
Not a word about himself. Not a single allusion to his rights as the Heir. He was very red and agitated.
There was a silence, and then he said:
"But if there isn't a Tsar, who's going to govern Russia?"
I explained that a Provisional Government had been formed and that it would govern the state until the Constituent Assembly met, when his uncle Michael would perhaps mount the throne.
Once again I was struck by the modesty of the boy.
At four o'clock the doors of the palace were closed. We were prisoners! The composite regiment had been relieved by a regiment from the garrison of Tsarskoe-Selo, and the Soldiers on sentry duty were there not to protect us, but to keep guard over us.
At eleven o'clock on the morning of the 22nd the Tsar arrived, accompanied by Prince Dolgorouky, the Marshal of the Court. He went straight up to the children's room, where the Tsarina was waiting for him.
After luncheon he went into the room of Aleksey Nicolaievich, where I was, and greeted me with his usual unaffected kindness. But I could tell by his pale, worn face that he too had suffered terribly during his absence.
-Ars longa, vita brevis -
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Sunny

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I've read the quote that Nena has so kindly written for us in "A lifelong Passion"
When I read it i tried to understand what Aleksej was thinking, and feeling... i think he was more schocked and confused than anrgy or somethin like that... the girls, instead "bursted out in tears", ad Lili Deh wrote... poor darlings!

Princess_Ella

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oh woah, thank you nena. A lot of that seems almost like what was used in the Romanovs: An Imperial Family. and thank you for that information realAnastasia, i just ordered the book. :)

Offline nena

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You are very welcome -- I agree that that moment when Mr. Gilliard said it to Aleksei was nicely depicted in 'The Romanovs: An Imperial Family'.
-Ars longa, vita brevis -
Mathematics, art and history in ♥

Offline Michael HR

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He seems to have been an exceptional young man and one has to wonder how he would have grown up, thoughtful and caring in my view. Such a gentle lad. 
Remembering the Imperial Corps Des Pages - The Spirit of Imperial Russia


Offline Vive_HIH_Aleksey

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I agree Michael.

I think he may have been modest, as Gilliard said, not mentioning his own rights as Tzarevich upon receiving the news of the abdication. He loved his father very much, and was watching his world crash down, as some others have pointed out in similar threads. He may have known more about his rights than he let on, but loved his father and was too affected by his abdication to truly wonder or care what should have been his own rights. I don't doubt he was confused; he'd never witnessed or experienced anything like that before. So I don't think he knew how to react, but I'm sure he didn't want anyone to worry about him; they worried enough about him as it was. I don't think I'm alone in feeling that perhaps he didn't want to make things worse by demanding an explanation as to why he was not allowed to be Tzar.
Hatred – this is a disgusting feeling. Yes, there is sport gambling, there is a striving to win. But to hate someone – this is awful! I think, that first of all you have to learn to respect your rival. -- Evgeni Plushenko

Offline Laura Mabee

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According to the memoirs of Lili Dehn from The Real Tsaritsa: (Part Two: Chapter Three)

When the Empress broke the news to the Tsarevitch, the following conversation took place:

"Shall I never go to G.H.Q. again with Papa?" asked the child,

"No, my darling - never again," replied his mother.

"Shan't I see my regiments and my soldiers?" he said anxiously.

 "No... I fear not."

"Oh dear! And the yacht, and all my friends on board - shall we never go yachting any more?" He was almost on the verge of tears.

"No... we shall never see the 'Standart.'... It doesn't belong to us now,"

All of Lili's memoirs are available to read at: http://www.alexanderpalace.org/realtsaritsa/

Selencia

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In Nicholas and Alexandra they depicted that Alexei was upset that Nicholas abdicated for him. But in "The Romanovs: An Imperial Family" it didn't bother him, actually if I recall in that movie he just went with the flow of everything though he did have the similar personality in captivity that was described in books about him knowing that their lives were in danger.
I go back and forth on Nicholas abdicating for Alexei, one after another the men the government wanted to give the title to just slipped away. Makes me wonder if Alexei, Mikhail or somebody had stepped up if the Bolsheviks would have been successful in their takeover. Then again Alexei was young and extremely sickly and Nicholas probably would have refused any situation where he would have to be separated for the family especially his parents.