I'm playing whack-a-mole in Siberia

Chapter 656 What is supposed to come will always come

This was a difficult decision for Nikolai himself, and Ruzynski played an important role in the process.

Nikolai arrived in Pskov on the 13th and had a long talk with Ruzynskiy.

Under Ruzynski's persuasion, Nicholas stopped dispatching troops to the capital and recalled the troops that had been dispatched. George also received a special order to "keep the troops in place."

Looking back a few months ago, Ruzynski came to George's command headquarters, hoping that George would cooperate with the Russian army on the northern front to attack the Austrian army.

Now Ruzynski brought his guards and forced Nicholas to sign the abdication decree.

It's really sad.

Ruzynski is not a traitor; his goal is to avoid civil war and ensure a peaceful transition of power.

But the development of the situation was completely out of control at this time, and Ruzynski did not expect that Nicholas' abdication was not the end of the chaos, but the beginning of chaos.

In 1918, Ruzynski was arrested by the committee, and the committee's soldiers demanded that Ruzynski pledge allegiance to the committee and fight against the army loyal to the Tsarist system.

Ruzynski said: I will not participate in a war in which Russians fight Russians.

Ruzynski was subsequently executed.

The committee was wrong; they should have told Ruzynski that the fight was not against troops loyal to the tsarist regime, but against the intervention forces.

In that case, Luzsky would certainly not refuse.

After agreeing to abdicate, the Tsar stayed awake all night.

In the early hours of the morning, Nikolai summoned Professor Fedorov and asked whether Alexei could recover.

Professor Fedorov replied: Your Majesty, science tells us that the Crown Prince's illness is incurable; but there are exceptions. The Crown Prince's condition has been controlled before and he may gradually recover - but in any case, the Crown Prince has to accept the dominance of chance.

Nikolay lowered his head sadly and said dejectedly: This is the same as what Sani said. If this is the case - if Alexei cannot serve the motherland, then I have the right to keep Alexei with me.

After daybreak, representatives of the Provisional Government, Guchkov and Shulgen, arrived in Pskov, bringing with them the abdication decree.

Guchkov demanded that Nicholas abdicate immediately.

Nicholas was very calm. He told Guchkov: Before three o'clock this morning, I had thought about passing the throne to my son Alexi - now I have changed my mind, I want to pass the throne to my younger brother Mikhail, I hope you can understand my feelings as a father.

Nicholas then signed the abdication decree.

Throughout the whole process, Nicholas was so calm that everyone couldn't believe it.

After signing, he breathed a sigh of relief, finally putting down his heavy burden.

Now, Nicola is looking forward to reuniting with his family.

Before signing his abdication, Nicholas did a few final things.

The first was to appoint Kornilov, who was designated by the Duma, as commander of the St. Petersburg Military District.

The second was to appoint Grand Duke Yuriev as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army to continue leading the Russian army to fight against the German-Austrian alliance.

The third document was addressed to all the troops. In the name of the Tsar, Nicholas ordered them for the last time to obey the command of Grand Duke Yuriev, persist in fighting, and strive for final victory.

Guchkov did not object to the first order.

Guchkov did not send out the second and third copies immediately.

"Why, Mr. Former Chairman of the State Duma, am I no longer the Tsar?"

Nicholas' attitude was very clear. Unless these three orders were issued, he would not sign the abdication edict.

Guchkov agreed, and from that moment on, George officially became the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army.

When the news reached Constantinople, George was extremely depressed.

Along with the news of Nicholas' abdication, there was also news about Mikhail that arrived in Constantinople.

In the months before Nicholas' abdication, the person in St. Petersburg who most wanted Nicholas to abdicate was undoubtedly Mikhail.

Mikhail was ready to become regent.

But he was not ready to become Tsar.

Mikhail was shocked by how quickly the situation changed.

In Mikhail's plan, Nicholas' abdication should be led by the royal family, rather than some interim government and interim executive committee that emerged from nowhere.

These are two completely different organizations. The Provisional Government was formed by the State Duma, and the Provisional Executive Committee was jointly elected by workers and soldiers.

From the 9th to the 13th, the situation in St. Petersburg deteriorated rapidly, catching everyone off guard.

When Kerensky, a representative of the Provisional Government, met with Mikhail, Mikhail asked Kerensky: If I become Tsar, can you guarantee my safety?

Kerensky could not give a definite answer.

Mikhail then put forward a condition: Mikhail would only accept supreme power after the representatives of the Constituent Assembly voted to determine the ruling method and the new fundamental law.

The voting time of the Constitutional Convention is 6 months later. So many things happened in just five days from the 9th to the 13th. What will the empire look like in 6 months?

It is hard to say whether the empire will still exist by then.

At this time in St. Petersburg, people were spontaneously celebrating the Tsar's abdication. From now on, Nicholas was no longer the Tsar, but Nicholas Romanov.

Constantinople was not affected by St. Petersburg, and the machines in the factories were still roaring day and night.

Soldiers patrolled the streets, order was maintained, there were no crowds, no panic buying, stores were well supplied, and food prices remained at a very low level.

Brent Bauer, the French liaison officer in Constantinople, commented that Constantinople and St. Petersburg were two completely different extremes that were incompatible.

The telegraph room of the Balkan Theater Command became busy from the 10th, with 120 transceivers working in three shifts to ensure smooth communications.

All received telegrams are first submitted to the Information Department for comprehensive analysis, and the valuable ones are reported to George's office. The office's staff and secretaries conduct a second selection and then hand them over to Christie for George to process.

George never expected that the coup in Russia would be so frivolous that it could not even be described as a joke.

In George's impression, coups were always filled with swords and flames of war, and would not end until one side was completely wiped out.

It was rare in the world for Nicholas to be so deserted by his friends and relatives. Even his own brother, uncle, and even the empress dowager wanted him to abdicate. The only person who supported Nicholas was Alex.

From this perspective, Nicholas was indeed right. Only the queen would not betray him.

Before Nicholas abdicated, he appointed George as the supreme commander of the Russian army, hoping that George could turn the tide and save the empire from disaster like he did in the Russo-Japanese War.

George didn't know where to start.

Send troops to St. Petersburg?

There is no reason.

Whether forced or voluntary, Nicholas had already signed the abdication decree, and his last order to George was to let George lead the Russian army to continue fighting against the German-Austrian alliance.

Nicholas did not designate a commander-in-chief for the Russian-European theater. Now that George wants to issue combat orders to the Russian-European theater, he doesn't know who to send it to.

George only had command authority and did not have the power to appoint the commander-in-chief of the Russian and European theater.

Fortunately, there was Lutzky. George sent a telegram to Lutzky, asking him to stabilize the morale of the troops, stand on the defense, and wait for follow-up orders.

Luzisky sent George a three-page telegram, explaining to George everything he had done in those days.

George called Lutzky back and asked him to continue to perform his duties as commander-in-chief of the Northern Front.

Alexeev sent a telegram to George, asking whether the 1917 military meeting would be held.

George could only sigh that Alexeev had a really big heart.

The future of the empire is uncertain. It remains to be seen whether George and Alexeev, the former commander-in-chief and chief of general staff appointed by the tsar, will be recognized by the Provisional Government and the Provisional Executive Committee. Is there any meaning in the military meeting?

It cannot be said that it is meaningless. George sent telegrams to Alexeyev and Ruzysky respectively, asking them to come to Constantinople and hold a meeting in Constantinople.

Ruzynski set out immediately after receiving the telegram.

Alexeev was hospitalized for treatment of a heart condition.

This is not a deliberate evasion of responsibility. Alexeev really has a heart disease, and this is the second time he has been hospitalized for heart disease this year.

When Ruzynski came to Constantinople, the situation in St. Petersburg continued to deteriorate.

Some people may ask, the Tsar has already abdicated, how could things get worse?
Don't forget that there are now two highest authorities in St. Petersburg, one is the Provisional Government and the other is the Provisional Executive Committee.

These two institutions were incompatible, and the only person who served in both institutions at the same time was the manipulative Kerensky.

Kerensky, who was a lawyer, took the two-timing strategy to the extreme. He served as the Attorney General in the Provisional Government and a member of the Provisional Executive Committee. Kerensky was fully responsible for appeasing Alex.

During the most crucial five days, Alex stayed in the Winter Palace and had no time to take care of other things.

Because of Alexei and the princesses' illness, Nicholas did not attend Olga's wedding and escaped death.

Alexei was infected with measles before he recovered from his illness. The princesses also fell ill at the same time, leaving only Maria and Alex in good health.

On the 14th, Grand Duke Paul gave Alex the newly published Izvestia, and only then did Alex learn that Nicholas had abdicated.

Alex roared wildly: "I don't believe it! It's all nonsense! I believe in God and the army. They will not abandon us just now."

Whether Alex believed it or not, gunshots could be heard in the Winter Palace.

Alex walked to the window of the Winter Palace, looked out in silence, her face pale.

The square in front of the Winter Palace was crowded with celebrating crowds. Soldiers fired guns into the air to celebrate the Tsar's abdication. People shook hands and hugged each other in celebration, as if all the problems of the empire would be solved with the Tsar's abdication.

On the 15th, the Provisional Executive Committee issued an order to arrest Nicholas and other members of the Romanov family.

George's last name is Yuriev and he is not within the range of those arrested.

On the 20th, the Provisional Executive Committee appointed Alexeev as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army.

Alexeev, who was still receiving treatment in the hospital, complained helplessly to his adjutant: Who should go to Constantinople to announce this order to Grand Duke Yuriev in person?
(End of this chapter)