Romanov Rescue 1917-1919: Action and Inaction

[Curryong]

Though I find it all upsetting, I'm looking forward to reading Hall, but in my own library I've always found 'The Fate of the Romanovs' by Greg King and Penny Wilson, very interesting.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

They rescued many, including the Dowager Empress and both of her daughters and their children. In the beginning it would have been possible, but George V did not want to make his throne vulnerable and so, his assistance was retracted. Even the Kaiser offered to take them, but Alexandra hated him so much she wouldn't hear of it. That no one saw the horrific outcome is possible, not probable. Lucien is correct.

If Alexandra had put aside her dislike of Wilhelm II, could she and Nicholas II have been able to go to Germany?

 

[M. Payton]

Helen Rappaport have written "The race to save the Romanovs" and Corryne Hall have written "To free the Romanovs" both published this year.

Thank you so much JR for the info, I put both books on my Book List here. If you ever get a chance that book by Clay called King Kaiser and Tsar is really good, it is in depth about the relationship between the 3 cousins. I found some sympathy for Kaiser in that book because of his deformities in his arm. He really had a hatred of the British because of that I think...

 

[Muhler]

I was not talking about a ransom, but rather the imperial family being rescued/ extracted by the British and taken to a third country such as Denmark. Would that have been possible ?

That would have been possible, but I think a European country would have been too close to Russia for the Communists not to feel threatened. There would IMO be no doubt of the Communists trying to assassinate them there.

I think they would have been safer, (and politically out of the way as well!) to relocate them to New Zealand or Canada. And considerably easier to protect them there. Without at the same time also antagonizing segments of the population. - Which was probably one of the reasons the British wouldn't have them anywhere in Britain.

 

[wyevale]

needed co-operation by the [ex] Tsar and Tsarina and willingness to appreciate the gravity of their situation

As I wrote earlier, the 'principal person's' in the drama seemed absolutely blind to the danger threatening them [and the entire Romanov Family].
Yet they were there..
If they could not, how can others FAR distant from Revolutionary Petrograd be expected to have grasped the nature of the Chaos, and the violent, unpredictable change that blew up in the late Winter of 1917.

 

[lucien]

Though I find it all upsetting, I'm looking forward to reading Hall, but in my own library I've always found 'The Fate of the Romanovs' by Greg King and Penny Wilson, very interesting.

Oh,but they're the least of interesting in my view,all hear say and "by credible sources"...sorry if I blew a bubble..But there are far better & real authors out there..

 

[lucien]

As I wrote earlier, the 'principal person's' in the drama seemed absolutely blind to the danger threatening them [and the entire Romanov Family].
Yet they were there..
If they could not, how can others FAR distant from Revolutionary Petrograd be expected to have grasped the nature of the Chaos, and the violent, unpredictable change that blew up in the late Winter of 1917.

Various Ambassadors in StP at the time saw it coming,and Willy hoped for it given he allowed Lenin to pass.But October 1917 was a totally unexpected success for Lenin and his croonies to seize power,and then there was no way back.Even when wealing and dealing was an art the Reds understood well,no deal ever included a member of the Family..No,instead various governement...among them the British...recognised the new regime..as all thought they wouldn't last that long...Naivity to the max & cowardice lice

 

[wyevale]

Long BEFORE the October Revolution the chance of escape had evaporated..
By then the Family were in the depths of Siberia [in Tobolsk].

Even before they were moved there Petrograd, whilst 'on paper' under the 'moderate' Provisional Govt was [in reality] under the control of the 'radical' Soviets [wholly opposed to letting the Family go].
The window of opportunity was incredibly limited..

 

[Denville]

IIRC there was some kind of plan to bring them to England but the girls had measles and couldn't go.. Or Alix didn't want them to go then. But by the time they recovered, George V had reconsidered and wasn't keen to have them in Britain.

I don't think that the BRF really considered them to be in danger of execution, just of being imprisoned for some long time.. and so they didn't feel obliged to put their own thrones in danger to rescue them and give them a home...

 

[SirGyamfi1]

Another thing was that managing the Romanovs would be expensive. They were a large family and other countries couldn’t afford them. Plus Nicholas and Alexandra stubbornly refused to leave Russia.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I have read that Nicholas II had quite a large sum of money stashed away in the Bank of England and perhaps a few other countries. And when you take the considerable amount of jewels that the Empress and her daughters had hidden and sewn into their clothing into consideration,the Imperial family wouldn't have been a financial burden to their English relatives.

The Romanovs were only too eager to leave Russia after the fall of the Provisional Government, but by then it was too late.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Another thing was that managing the Romanovs would be expensive. They were a large family and other countries couldn’t afford them. Plus Nicholas and Alexandra stubbornly refused to leave Russia.

Dowager Empress Maria also refused to leave Russia and hung on in the Crimea and only left in 1919 after her sister Queen Alexandra urged her.
17 Romanovs left Yalta in the Crimea onboard the HMS Marlborough along with pets and staff.

 

[SirGyamfi1]

Dowager Empress Maria also refused to leave Russia and hung on in the Crimea and only left in 1919 after her sister Queen Alexandra urged her.
17 Romanovs left Yalta in the Crimea onboard the HMS Marlborough along with pets and staff.

IMO Nicholas and Alexandra were really out of touch, naïve and prideful to realize the writing on the wall. They actually had chances to leave before the worst was yet to come. But they risked the life of their immediate family.

I have read that Nicholas II had quite a large sum of money stashed away in the Bank of England and perhaps a few other countries. And when you take the considerable amount of jewels that the Empress and her daughters had hidden and sewn into their clothing into consideration,the Imperial family wouldn't have been a financial burden to their English relatives.

The Romanovs were only too eager to leave Russia after the fall of the Provisional Government, but by then it was too late.

The jewels that had on them were probably fairly expensive but nothing excessive. Plus managing a family like that big security would be needed to provide for them and the probably the extended family. I heard of the bank account but what happened to the money?

 

[An Ard Ri]

IMO Nicholas and Alexandra were really out of touch, naïve and prideful to realize the writing on the wall. They actually had chances to leave before the worst was yet to come. But they risked the life of their immediate family.

They should have at least sent their children to safety!

 

[CyrilVladisla]

One of the large standing myths was that Tsar Nicholas II had over 600 million gold rubles in the Bank of England.
His father Tsar Alexander III deposited his personal capital of about 90 million gold rubles in the Bank of England.

 

[SirGyamfi1]

They should have at least sent their children to safety!

They were too attached to one another and one of the ladies-in-waiting wanted to take the children but Alexandra refused. If only Alexandra did that instead.

 

[Denville]

I have read that Nicholas II had quite a large sum of money stashed away in the Bank of England and perhaps a few other countries. And when you take the considerable amount of jewels that the Empress and her daughters had hidden and sewn into their clothing into consideration,the Imperial family wouldn't have been a financial burden to their English relatives.

The Romanovs were only too eager to leave Russia after the fall of the Provisional Government, but by then it was too late.

The Dowager Empress was short of money, and no country really wanted to take the IF in - regardless of expenses. Nicholas had a horrible reputation as Nicholas the Bloody, and most Euroepan Royal families were wary of putting their own thrones at risk by giving him permanent residence.

 

[An Ard Ri]

The Dowager Empress also sadly refused to believe that the Tsar and Family were murdered and stated ‘Nobody saw Nicky killed,’

Two very loyal Cossack soldiers accompanied the Dowager onboard the HMS Marlborough and slept outside her cabin.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

IMO Nicholas and Alexandra were really out of touch, naïve and prideful to realize the writing on the wall. They actually had chances to leave before the worst was yet to come. But they risked the life of their immediate family.


The jewels that had on them were probably fairly expensive but nothing excessive. Plus managing a family like that big security would be needed to provide for them and the probably the extended family. I heard of the bank account but what happened to the money?

"What happened to the money?" is an excellent question. It has been speculated upon in many books.

 

[SirGyamfi1]

The Dowager Empress also sadly refused to believe that the Tsar and Family were murdered and stated ‘Nobody saw Nicky killed,’

Two very loyal Cossack soldiers accompanied the Dowager onboard the HMS Marlborough and slept outside her cabin.

I’m sure she knew he was killed but she didn’t believe it out of shock or just deluded herself to save face.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Nikolai Sokolov prepared a full report for the Dowager Empress on the Murder of the Imperial Family ,the Dowager Empress even gave money towards it but in the end refused to read it and the meeting between Nikolai Sokolov and the Dowager Empress was cancelled by her daughter Grand Duchess Xiena who believed it was far too graphic for an elderly lady.

https://www.rbth.com/arts/2015/04/1..._the_story_of_the_romanov_killings_45299.html

 

[Prinsara]

Some things one cannot bring oneself to believe.

Considering what was actually done to her family, it's probably merciful if she didn't learn the details.

 

[SirGyamfi1]

Nikolai Sokolov prepared a full report for the Dowager Empress on the Murder of the Imperial Family ,the Dowager Empress even gave money towards it but in the end refused to read it and the meeting between Nikolai Sokolov and the Dowager Empress was cancelled by her daughter Grand Duchess Xiena who believed it was far too graphic for an elderly lady.

https://www.rbth.com/arts/2015/04/1..._the_story_of_the_romanov_killings_45299.html

Yes, I heard that she requested this, but she never met Nikolai. At that point, I think she realized he wasn’t alive.