I Want to Write a novel

[Justine]

Good idea for the novel. But I must admit that I find it hard to believe that Alexandra would be regent with so much hatred towards her at the time(I would guess she rather would be sent to monastery).

[TimM]

...but what's with the spacing between your words and punctuation marks?

That's what confused me.  It seemed like this was a person who was not familiar with the English language (something one can expect on a board like this that has many international posters).  

[Romanov_Fan19]

I am afraid I am not good with   words in proper order    never   have been    as for Alexandra   im writing it  in a way  that she is regent for only a few weeks 
she  dies of a heart attack   Buried  in Fyododorovsky  Chapel   then Grand Duke Mikhail becomes regent   for a short time.

[Kalafrana]

Hello Romanov Fan

I agree with all the historical points already made. It's worth, I think, having a particular look at Boris's III of Bulgaria, who did find himself dealing personally with Hitler, and actually suffered his fatal heart attack while flying back from one of their meetings. From all I know of Boris's, he was a very decent man and so must have been completely out of sympathy with him on a personal level, which would give you some useful insights. Unfortunately, there's not a huge amount written about Boris's in English.

Also worth looking at Michael of Roumania, who was in a similar position, with the extra difficulty of being very young and having just emerged from a pro-German regency.

Hope that helps. I didn't dare use a real person as my central character!

I see an adult Alexei limping heavily after the crisis at Tobolsk. Is this going to colour his attitude to the armed forces?

Incidentally, everybody,  would you like to see some more of Sandor Dolgoruky and Kate?

Ann

[edubs31]

Incidentally, everybody,  would you like to see some more of Sandor Dolgoruky and Kate?

Ann

Pretty please!

[Kalafrana]

While I think of it, I don't think you can realistically have Alexandra is regent. Initially at least, Alexei's reign is going to be very fragile indeed, and whoever is regent will have to enjoy the confidence of Alexei's military and political supporters. Given the general hatred of her in Russia, Alexandra is not a realistic candidate, and I'm struggling to think of anybody else within the family who would command the necessary respect and have the political skills.  I think you would need to invent some political/military figure for the job, unless General Alexiev was still alive IATA this point. Since you're being counter-factual, he would be a possibility.

Alexei as monarch with Alexandra in a convent!

Ann

[Kalafrana]

Apologies for dodgy spelling and grammar in my last two posts. I'm away from home and on my iPad, so predictive text is a problem!

Erik

I will post some more when I get home.

Ann

[edubs31]

While I think of it, I don't think you can realistically have Alexandra is regent. Initially at least, Alexei's reign is going to be very fragile indeed, and whoever is regent will have to enjoy the confidence of Alexei's military and political supporters. Given the general hatred of her in Russia, Alexandra is not a realistic candidate, and I'm struggling to think of anybody else within the family who would command the necessary respect and have the political skills.  I think you would need to invent some political/military figure for the job, unless General Alexiev was still alive IATA this point. Since you're being counter-factual, he would be a possibility.

Alexei as monarch with Alexandra in a convent!

Ann

Brusilov as that military figure perhaps? And for a female regent, much as I hate to utter her name, how about Meichen?

[TimM]

Alexei is getting quite a bit in alternate history.  In this proposed novel, he gets to become Tsar.

In Days, we're sending him (and his wife, Kole), to Mars.

[JamesAPrattIII]

Ann more of Sandor and Kate would be fine. Lets hope they get out of the mess Russia is about to desend in

On Alexei as Tsar you could have as regents his grandmother Maria Fed and the Grand Duke Nicholas N,

I don't think Alexei as Tsar would have had anything to do with Hitler after his sister Olga reads "Mein Kampf" and tells him what Hitler had planned for Russia. It should also be pointed out one of the reasons Hitler got into power was because Stalin made it impossible for the parties on the left and center in Germany to form a coalition against him. Only a leader as stupid as Stalin as it turned out would be dumb enough to sign a non-aggression pact with Hitler after purging his army leaving it in no shape to fight a war. Also Hitler has no Communist menace to go after in Russia without lenin and Stalin.

Note in Russia there where jury trials for most crimes since the legal reforms of the 1860s. They did have a very impressive legal system which Lenin and Stalin destroyed.

If Alexei somehow lives long enough to be Tsar. It would be a sort of quasi-constitutional soft dictatorship like Russia 1906-1914. There will be an elected Duma, a free press ect but the country will be in a real mess for many years after WW I do to the effects of the revolution. I can also see Alexei in the mid to late 1930s trying to get Russia back as Allies of the British and French to oppose Hitler if he does come to power.

I hope this is of some use.

[TimM]

This sounds like it will be an interesting novel.

[Kalafrana]

I like the idea of Olga ploughing her way through Mein Kampf and being absolutely horrified.

I will post some more of Sandor and Kate. I will start with the death of Rasputin, but include a warning for readers concerned about gore and homophobia.

Ann

[wakas]

I wonder what you're planning to do about Alexei's reaction to his father's death. He was very close to him, so how will he cope? Will that event affect his politics, like Alexander II's death affected both Alexander III and Nicholas II?

[TimM]

Yeah, how would Alexei react if his father died.  You should build on that.

[Romanov_Fan19]

he had then men shot by a Military Execution Squad