Alexander II_ The Last Great Tsar - Edvard Radzinsky [78]
Nicholas left for Headquarters. This was the most difficult departure for him. He had to announce his decision to the commander-in-chief, the enormous Nikolasha, before whom he was unwillingly shy, in his red-hot train car.
On the train, a letter awaited him as always:
She: “Aug. 22nd 1915.… Never have they seen such firmness in you before … proving yourself the Autocrat without wh. Russia cannot exist.… Forgive me, I beseech you, my Angel, for having left you no peace … but I too well know yr. marvelously gentle character.… I have suffered so terribly, & phisically overtired myself these 2 days, & morally worried (& worry still till all is done at the Headquarters & Nikolasha goes) only then shall I feel calm.… You see they are afraid of me & so come to you when alone—they know I have a will of my own when I feel I am in the right—& you are now—we know this, so you make them tremble before your courage & will. God is with you & our Friend for you.… His holy angels guard & guide you.… I am near & with you for ever & ever & none shall separate us.”
Nikolasha understood immediately: the game was lost. The former commander-in-chief conducted himself impeccably.
He: “25 August, 1915.… Thank God it is all over, and here I am with this new responsibility on my shoulders! But God’s will be fulfilled.… The whole morning of that memorable day, Aug. 23, while coming here, I prayed much and read your first letter over and over again. The nearer the moment of our meeting, the greater the peace that reigned in my heart. N[ikolasha] came in with a kind, brave smile, and asked simply when I would order him to go. I answered in the same manner that he could remain for two days; then we discussed the questions connected with military operations, some of the generals, and so forth, and that was all. The following day at lunch and dinner he was very talkative and in a very good mood, such as we have not seen him in for many months.… The expression on his adjutant’s face was of the gloomiest—it was quite amusing.”
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Thus Nicholas II became commander-in-chief of a retreating army.
From that moment on, with all her energy, with all her passion, her invincible, hysterical will, Alix began to help him lead the country and the army.
She: “Aug. 30th 1915. My own beloved darling.… [Duma member] Guchkov ought to be got rid of, only how is the question, war-time—is there nothing one can hook on to have him shut up? He hunts after anarchy & against our dynasty, wh. our Friend said God would protect.”
At that time vile drawings, shameful conversations about the commander-in-chief’s wife and about the country’s ruler became commonplace.
She: “Botkin told me that a certain Gorodinsky (Anna’s friend) overheard a conversation on a train between two gentlemen saying nasty things about me. He slapped them both.”
He: “31 August, 1915.… How grateful I am to you for your dear letters! In my loneliness they are my only consolation, and I look forward to them with impatience.… Now a few words about the military situation—it looks threatening in the direction of Dvinsk and Vilna, grave in the centre towards Baranovitchi, and good in the South.… The gravity lies in the terribly weak condition of our regiments, which consist of less than a quarter of their normal strength; it is impossible to reinforce them in less than a month’s time, as the new recruits will not be ready, and, moreover, there are very few rifles.… We cannot rely on our worn-out railway lines, as in former times. This concentration will only be accomplished towards the 10th or 12th of September.… For this reason I cannot decide to come home before the dates indicated.… Your charming flowers, which you gave me in the train, are still standing on my table before me—they have only faded a little.”
She: “Sept. 4th 1915. My own beloved darling.