"Those who were in constant contact with the Tsar were amazed at his poise, and in moments of frustration and horror to those around him, such as the defeat in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, the assassination of Stolypin in 1911, the great retreat of Galicia in 1915, and the great turmoil of the days before his abdication, he remained calm, never broke his habits, chatted peacefully with his close ministers, gave instructions as usual, and insisted on keeping his daily diary." What's going on? An officer of the Tsar's Guards asked himself, "Is this great, almost unbelievable self-sustaining power the result of upbringing, or the belief that all things are predetermined by God, or is it due to lack of awareness?" ””

Calm, surprisingly calm, when Nikolai corresponded to Guchkov with calm, Guchkov sighed at the calmness of this majesty, and once again interrupted the tsar's calmness, but in the face of his words, Nikolai still did not show a little silence, it seemed simple, but no matter what, there is one thing Nikolai will not forget in his heart - he is the tsar! Tsar of the Russian Empire! “…… In short, the members of the Duma Committee are all followers of the constitutional monarchy, and among the people there is a deep awareness of the mistakes of the organs of power, especially of the highest authorities, and therefore there is a need for an edict that can influence the consciousness of the people, which is like a whip that can instantly change the mood of the whole people, on the contrary, for all the workers and soldiers who took part in the unrest, the restoration of the old regime would be tantamount to the threat of punishment for them, and they also had no way out, so for all there was only one way out. The only way to change the regime is to hand over the burden of the supreme leadership to another person, for example. If the emperor can announce that he will transfer power to his youngest son, and that he will be regent by Grand Duke Mikhail, this will save both Russia and the monarchy, which is the best option at the moment......"

At this time, Nikolai, who had remained calm for a long time, interrupted Guchkov's words. even said a little timidly.

"But have you thought enough about the possible impact on Russia? How can one be convinced that there will not be more bloodshed at the time of my abdication......"

Guchkov, with a stiff expression, and Shulygin, who seemed extremely excited, replied in unison.

"Your Majesty, the Duma Committee is trying to avoid this, precisely through the abdication of Your Majesty. Russia will no longer have any obstacles to a victorious end to the war with complete solidarity at home! ”

"Judging by the situation in Kiev,"

Shuligin broke the previous silence and said in a tone that could not be questioned.

"Now that public opinion in society has deviated far from the monarchy, even if there are those who disagree, it is those who have little influence, on the contrary, if His Majesty delays his abdication. We should be worried that there may be extremely serious civil unrest in the future! ”

How? Fundamental Kyiv again? According to the situation in this ancient imperial city? Nikolai's brow furrowed slightly, and then asked.

"Then there will be no unrest in the Cossack troops, right?"

Guchkov replied with a slight smile.

"Oh, no, no, Your Majesty. Cossacks? All were on the side of the new system, as was clearly demonstrated by the actions of the Petrogradon Regiment. ”

Rusky on the side was in a hurry, and everything started from the beginning, and the tsar could be silent for an hour, so the abdication seemed to not exist? Guchkov it was in vain, and he. In Rusky's hand was the Tsar's handwritten letter.

Although he was extremely anxious, for Rusky, he could not interrupt him in front of the Tsar. After clarifying this, Rusky, who was very anxious in his heart, suddenly became restless, leaned over Shuligin, and said to him quietly, regardless of decency, but in fact he wanted Guchkov to hear him as well. …,

"This matter - it's settled. Even signed it, I ......"

It was him, Rusky. Defeat the Tsar! This should be known to all.

But Guchkov didn't hear clearly, and didn't even understand! In order not to talk such nonsense now, not to let the tsar have such an idea - he can also seize the corner of the throne, it is enough to say two words before the meeting, but Guchkov did not understand what he meant, a pair of red and swollen eyes behind the lenses, his tie was even crooked.

"Things are moving very quickly, and the extremists now see Rodchenko, me and other moderates as traitors, and of course they are against such an outcome, because they see that the monarchy will be saved!"

He did not say "a monarchy dear to us and to you", but the effect was this, whether it was deliberate or natural, but anyway the position of the visitors made it seem that they did not come as enemies, nor as one party to the other, but as allies who saved everything sacred and precious with the Tsar.

"Your Majesty, it's just that these conditions can try to restore order, which Shuligin and I have been dragged to tell you...... Your Majesty, and we have no other way out, whatever army you send to Petrograd now, even if it is the Japanese army, I repeat ......"

At Guchkov's stress, Rusky couldn't hold back any longer, he put the little pair of glasses tighter and corrected.

"What's worse than that is that now there are no troops to send, and the base camp of the expeditionary force has lost contact with the outside world......"

Of course, this is not true, in fact, the wireless telegraphy between the expeditionary force and the base camp has always been closely linked, but this, Rusky said, is the most powerful affirmation, and who knows better than the commander-in-chief of the front closest to the capital?

It's just that no one said it, and it didn't even think about it, is there any troops in Petrograd that can be sent to the base camp? They did not expect that they could also get support from China through diplomatic channels, and then they could use the Japanese army, which was less affected by the revolution, to help them restore order.

And at this time, Nikolai looked at Rusky and suddenly understood what Rusky looked most like in his eyes, like a weasel, a weasel with glasses, more precisely. Like a weasel cub, but with the expression of an old weasel.

And at this time, although Guchkov did not notice Rusky's hints, what he saw with his own eyes was - there would be no more struggle, the tsar was close to surrendering!

He was with this man unconsciously. Not long ago, the monarchs and rulers who could easily be driven out or arrested by him himself talked more and more, and he spoke more and more condescendingly, as if he were instructing a young man who had not yet grown up, and when he proved to this man beyond doubt that the only way out was to abdicate the throne. And when he was not opposed, he wanted to show magnanimity.

"Of course, you do need to think about it before making that decision!"

even catered to his psychology and said.

"Pray, pray, pray!"

But then he said in a stiff tone.

"But the decision must not be made later than tomorrow, because tomorrow we will not be able to give you any good ideas, even if you ask us, because the mood of the people is extremely excited. With hostility, they can do anything! ”

After a pause, Guchkov repeated again tolerantly.

"Your Majesty, in order to think about it and pray and pray, you may want to be alone for a while!"

looked at Guchkov in surprise. Nikolai saw him place a crumpled piece of paper in front of him, a draft of the edict of abdication that he and Shuligin had drawn up on their way. …,

Yes, yes, Shuligin is precisely aware that he has reason to say that he is right on this trip, and that he has other presences that can counteract all coercive and derogatory tones. Two monarchists, two cultured men, should have approached the tsar with gentle steps. Report what happened to the tsar in a tired voice. But in this case, there is nothing to lose face for a monarch who loves his country and decides to abdicate.

Nikolai remained silent, occasionally brushing his beard with his thumb and forefinger, sagging his shoulders, not at all like a tsar, but like an ordinary ordinary person. He looked at Guchkov with those sickly, pale blue eyes. After listening for so long, he finally spoke.

"About that, I think...... I want to ......"

Rusky's inability to unfold the prepared edict of abdication in front of the two parliamentarians would have made his heart extremely painful, although the Tsar was no longer a Tsar, and his past power was folded into a piece of paper and placed in his jacket pocket, but the habitual power of etiquette, which had been deeply rooted in the bone marrow since childhood, prevented him from acting casually.

Is it up to him to announce?

He didn't dare!

But the tsar's tone of voice, which had no intention of arguing, elongated "I...... Wondering, "Does that mean agreeing?" Doesn't that give him a kind of power? This power was to take the edict out of his pocket, return it to the tsar himself, and hand it to him across the table.

"His Majesty the Tsar has solved this problem!"

Rusky's move was so successful that it cut off Nikolai's retreat at once.

This is the edict of abdication that Nikolai released carelessly, and which he could not get back from his hand for a whole day, and when he saw that the edict was in his hands, Nikolai did not unfold it, nor announced it to the two parliamentarians, but put it in his pocket.

He's ...... Do you want to take your abdication edict back?

Seeing this action of the Tsar, Rusky realized what a serious mistake he had made! Simple is stupid, unforgivable mistake!

So Rusky prepared to make a statement himself, saying out loud what was written on the document that had not yet been destroyed, and it was written in the Tsar's pocket, no, to Rusky's relief, the Tsar did not need to slip his head, was he thinking about the wording? Yes, but he was not in a hurry, he had this quality that ordinary people could not prepare for, and he was calmer than all the people here, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.

But Nikolai also did not hide his sorrow, and just looked into the eyes of Guchkov, who did not want to look directly. He didn't use any titles, but he was clearly speaking to Guchkov, and his voice seemed extremely calm.

"I-thought about it, all morning, all day, but what do you think?"

He flinched in a timid tone.

"After the crown prince takes over the throne, can he stay with me and his mother until he reaches adulthood?"

With that, Nikolai looked at him helplessly and expectantly.

Guchkov shook his head unthinkingly.

"Of course not, no one will give the education of the future tsar to ......"

His tone hardened.

"The man who brought the country to its current state!"

"So, I should ......"

Disappointed, Nikolai asked in a low voice, with a feeling of apprehension.

"Your Majesty. You have to go abroad! ”

Nodding sadly, Nikolai said.

"Well, gentlemen, I am ready to give way to my son, at three o'clock this afternoon. It was such an edict that I signed, but now, after much consideration, I understand...... I can't be separated from my son! ”

Guchkov jerked his head up at the Tsar, what does this mean? …,

At this time, Nikolai's voice did not resemble a tsar at all. And he was not very calm, but said with a tremble.

"I understand...... I hope you will understand that too...... He's not in good health, I can't ...... Therefore, I decided - to relinquish the throne, but not to my son, but my brother Mikhail? Grand Duke Aleksandrovich! ”

Speaking of which. He lowered his head and said no more.

The two councillors exchanged glances in surprise, and for the first time in the whole conversation, Shuligin hurriedly interjected, as if he was afraid that someone else would get ahead of him.

"Your Majesty. We were caught off guard by this suggestion of yours, all we expected was to pass the throne to Crown Prince Alexei, and we are here to make suggestions that are only conveyed to you! ”

It's just a simple change to the rearrangement of the two looking drop objects, singles. But the parliamentarians were not at all prepared for this. The men who sent them were likewise unprepared, and no one had thought of this before, and no one could have imagined that the Tsar would make such a decision.6

Guchkov also tried to oppose the decision of the tsar:

"Considering the character of the young prince. It will definitely be greatly relieved...... Popular ...... of the fact of the transfer of power"

You know, in the new government and in the upper echelons of the parliament, they were counting on Alexey's young age and Mikhail's lack of sex...... But now, what will be the result?

"Then please allow me",

Seeing that the tsar insisted on his opinion, Shuligin opened his mouth to demand.

"Me and Alexander? Ivanovich discussed ?......"

Nikolai did not object, but he did not get up and walk away.

He shouldn't have gone away!

Apparently. It's time to walk away from the two councillors?

But they were at a loss for what to do, so they didn't walk away. However, it seems that Guchkov did not want Shulygin to come up with any ideas, and he felt that it was better to make his own decisions. And the tsar himself had difficulties that he could not contain in his heart, but no one could go out to discuss with him, so he had to ask these two people who came with hostility again:

"But I need to be sure...... What would all the other Russians think about this? ”

As he spoke, his flustered eyes avoided Rusky, seeking answers from the two councillors,

"This does not cause new ...... Turmoil, right?"

He didn't think of how to express it humbly.

"Nope! No, it won't. Your Majesty! It will not cause. ”

Rusky decisively stated that he knew,

"The danger - not here at all. The danger is that if someone else declares a republic before we do, then it will ...... There will be civil strife. We should act urgently to strengthen the monarchy. ”

For Shulygin, the problem is clearer than the question of the sudden replacement of the heir. He had long wanted to join the conversation, to be alone, and he had come for this - for the future of the Russian Empire, for the sake of ensuring the monarchy of the Russian Empire.

"Your Majesty!" He spoke warmly and earnestly,

"Allow me to clarify under what conditions the State Duma was forced to begin its work."

Then he began to describe the situation in Petrograd: how the shameless crowd had filled the Tavrida Palace, leaving the Duma Committee with only two small rooms.

"People brought all the arrested people here, and it was lucky because it saved them from lynching...... Duma - it's hell! It's a crazy building!"

But doesn't such a fierce comment seem to have strengthened their own position?

So Shuligin corrected:

"But we also maintain the symbols of state management, thanks to which certain order is preserved. No, there was no interruption in the operation of the railway. But we inevitably have to fight the last battle against the leftists, and for that we need a base in Gongtong. Your Majesty, please help us build this base!" …,

They were just begging, not forcing the tsar at all! Nikolai, however, was not convinced. I still don't know in my heart.

"Gentlemen, but I want to be assured. My departure will not lead to more bloodshed in Russia......"

Although his ministers and people betrayed him, as Tsar, he still wanted to be sure that Russia would not abdicate because of him. And in the midst of a new civil strife, which is exactly what he does not want to see.

"Oh, Your Majesty, it's the opposite! Quite the opposite! Only the abdication of His Majesty can save Russia from the danger of civil war!

It's true. Therefore love peace and therefore do not persecute anyone. But you see, the changed plan for the Tsar, of course, should be ...... It would be nice to be able to discuss it for a quarter of an hour. ”

In contrast, for this change, Guchkov accepted it more easily and quickly. Because he had long understood that this man was incomparably stubborn. Expecting that he would exert the most effort, arguing that it might not be fruitful, he had to return with a small part of the responsible cabinet and the constitution, but to his surprise, everything was already done before him. The edict of abdication, the object of the long-term social struggle, brought to you by the attendants on a plate, has been taken and handed to you while someone has reached out and handed it to you.

So he ceased to be hostile to this man, and said magnanimously:

"Your Majesty. Of course, I don't feel that I have the right to interfere with your father-son relationship. There is no political position in this regard, and there can be no coercion. Suggestions for you. We ......"

Finally, Nikolai's unbearable face showed a look of satisfaction. Now the fulcrum has been found: he has the right to his only son! The two parliamentarians did not come up with a solution right away, and the tsar did not force them to come up with arguments. Satisfied, Nikolai quietly got up and walked to his carriage, still not taking the draft edict that the parliamentarians had brought; It was also not stated whether they were given intervals to consider.

Now he himself has made a decision, which is a prerequisite for his abdication, as the tsar of the Russian Empire. It was his last insistence, no matter what. He had to make sure that he stayed with his family and not from his frail son, which he couldn't accept.

The people in the living room walked away, everyone began to smoke, and the crowd was joined by an uninvited General Danilov, who had been walking around the platform with jealousy, not knowing whether to come in or not.

It was only then that these helpless people remembered that it would be nice if there were a special law on the order of succession to the throne, and things would be easier to do. Count Naryshkin, who had been taking notes of the talks, went to the office and found the required volume from the code of the Russian Empire. Everyone flipped through and searched to see if the father could be the guardian again if the father passed on the throne to the son, but they did not find the answer they hoped to find.

This battle lasted for 2O years in order to limit or remove the Tsar, but no one thought of the law, and now, when the Tsar decided to abdicate, people remembered the law and the role of the law. It's a joke at all.

At this time, Guchkov and Shuligin were deliberating, or rather, thinking about their own affairs in an incoherent manner.

If Mikhail had become the central figure, he would most likely have pursued a surprisingly autonomous policy, after all, he was an adult, perhaps, Mikhail lacked sex, but what if as a tsar? It is also possible that the monarchy does not take a commensurate approach - the monarch is only king, but does not govern the country.

Such an outcome is contrary to the decisions and wishes of the Interim Government.

But there is an important argument: if this little boy takes the throne, will he be able to fully fulfill his oath of loyalty to the Constitution? And what the Duma Committee wanted, it was precisely the oath that the new tsar could not restore the imperial throne, and such an oath would be immediately available from Mikhail. Mikhail, as regent, would defend all the power of the crown prince, but as tsar he would be limited as soon as he ascended the throne, and this would promote ...... Although Guchkov was reluctant to adopt the emperor's plan, his exhausted brain could not come up with a strong counter-argument. He was amazed that the Tsar was so not opposed to abdication! Such a thing is simply unimaginable for someone who has lived under the behemoth of the empire for decades! Such results are automatically sent to him, how can he not accept them?

With just one trick, he Guchkov accomplished an operation unparalleled in the history of Russia, perhaps containing the revolutionary rebellion and saving the monarchy at the same time!

That's probably the most important thing!