The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-11-12
THE ROMANOFF HOUSE
THE CZAREWITCH,S MARRIAGE
WILL NOT bring 1T NEW BLOOD.
Yet This Is Something That Russia's
Ruling Family Needs-HistOry of
the man Since 1913.

INK S1dl IN diCS aia bAAC NLdlcWttCu
who weds brings to mind two thoughts.
He is not snatched away by the hands of
an assassin nor poisoned, as most Of his
predecessors Of the house OF Romanoff
have been. The wedding Of the Czarewitch
to the Princess Alix recalls the fact that
the house of Romanoff Is half German now.
She will bring no new strain of blood to it.
The reigning family Of Russia descend,
in the female line, from Michael Romanoff,
elected Car in 1913, after the extinction of
the house of Rorik, and in the male line
from the Duke Karl Friedrich of Holstein-
Gottorp. who was born in 17Ol, the scion of
a younger branch of the princely family Of
Oldenburg. The union of his daughter
Holstein-G ottorp formed part of the great
reform projects of Peter the Great of Rus
STA, who intended to bring Russia into
closer contact with the western states of
Europe. Peter the Great was succeeded by
his second wife, Catherine. the daughter Of
a Hvonian peasant, and she by Pc
ter II. the grandson Of Peter the Great,
with whom the male line of the Romanoffs
terminated In the year 1870.
The reign of the next three sovereigns
VI IsuSSid, duQ ivan VI dIQ EildOclu, VI
the female line Of Romanoff, formed a
transition, which came to an end with the
accession Of Peter III, Of the house of
H~olstein-Gottorp. All the subsequent en-
perors. without exception, allied themselves
by marriage with German families. The
wife and successor of Peter III, Catherine
II, was the daughter of the Prince Of An
halt Zerpst, a general in the Prussian
---- Gu Ic< $4,000 - 80 @-Ir -
Paul, who became the father Of two En-
perors. Alexander I and Nicholas. and the
grandfather of s. third Alexander ii. All
these sovereigns married German princess
es, creating intimate family alliances,
among others, with the reigning houses of
Wurtemburg, Baden and Prussia.
These have been the Cars and EmperOrS
OF Russia. from the time Of the election of
Michael Romanoff. Gar Peter I was the
first ruler who adopted, in the year 1721,
the title Of Emperor.
House OF R~omanon1Male Line
Michael...........1613 Peter I.....-.....16S9
Alexei......"......16 1915 Catherine I......1725
ivan and Peter i...isss refer
House Of Romanof-Female Line
Ann .173o Elizabeth ........1741
Ivan VI...-........174O
House of Romanoff- Holstein.-
Peter M...........17e2 Nicholas 1926
Sdtnerine ll........Ilol Aiexanuer I.....lo55
Alexander -.-1scl
GERMANIZING RUSSIA.
When Anne, Duchess Of Courland. the
daughter of Ivan, the imbecile half-brother
of Peter the Great, succeeded to the throne.
she did much to Germanize Russia. Aided
by Biren, who had been her groom and
was now her lover, she tyrannized over
Russia for ten years. From Courland she
introduced German fashions in the Russian
court, Courland being a province of Rus
STA, where many German emigrants were
and still are established. Marshal Munich,
a German, Vas placed at the head of the
Russian army.
daughter of Peter the Great, and then
Peter III, the son of the eldest sister. Anne
OF Holstein, also a daughter of Peter the
Duke Of Holstein and. therefore, more Ger
man than Russian. He married Sophia
Augusta, the German princess of Anhalt-
Church and took the name of Catherine
A.lexevna. This was the celebrated Gather
Inc.
Queen GATHERINGS husband, Peter III,
was so hIdeous that she tainted when
presented to him. But, though only seven
teen years DID,. she was ambitious and
determined at whatever sacrifice to be the
wife Of the Gar. Peter III held up Fred
erick of Prussia as his idol; he spoke of
him as the King my master" and dressed
wearing himself a Prussian uniform. But
perhaps IL is of no especial use to explain
the German. character of Peter III for it
was doubtful whether he was the father of
his wife's children. Catherine was one of
the most beautiful women of her time,
n M;tb s In nsure xb gIace made IN he. aep Drdi11e &
copy of Minerva. fascinating hazel eyes
and a profusion of extremely fine chestnut
colored hair. She was highly accomplished,
had a Keen ipta11iQpnca and soon 0eVPlOnpd
a dauntless spirit as well as an ardent de-
sire for power and fame.
For a brief while she eXerted a complete
ascendancy over her husband and 1T seemed
as If the purpose Of her advent was to be
completely realized. Soon, however, the
ing quarrels, in which the sembiance of
cordial affection was exchanged for resent
ment and fear on one side, for contempt
his low society and his dissolute life and
Catherine, after a time, revenged herself
for forn his 'nf esseey By by s enseri Msis spo ear 1naf s fer
her the name Of ''the Modern Messalina."
Her first favorite was Count Soitikoff who,
d deS to Sweden on a special mission
to announce the birth of an heir to the
throne. Paul Petrovitch, born eight years
after her marriage. But She had almost in
Vulnerable favorites.
A WISE DOG INDEED.
GATHERINGS laison with Poniatowski was
| perhaps the most romantic. This young
man, destined to become the King of Po-
land, was an accomplished gentleman OF
the period. He was at least the absolute
antithesis of her husband, Peter. He could
turn q sonnet at a pinch; he was chival.
rous, delicate and brave. His influence
over her was watched by every court in
Europe with jealousy and discomfort.
To understand this one must clearly CON-
prehend the extraordinary system of favor
| ftism that existed in Russia when Cath.
crime came there. The whole business OF
state hung upon it. The Nation was al
ways waiting for the next favorite to ap.
pear. Neither the army nor the people
| could tell whether he would be a stable
man or an envoy, but all were ready tC
doff their hats to him when he appeared.
One day when there was a group OF heI
set in GATHERINGS room her little Boloquese
dog began to bark furiously at each formel
favorite as he came In. Poniatowski ar
| rived. The little traitor rushed up to him
| with an air of the greatest familiarity and
| delight, and thus announced to the grouI
| who was the latest.
In 1895 Catherine died. Her son Paul
| ried a German, Maria Feoderowna, a Primo
ess of Wurtemburg. He was stunted o
| figure and mean OF aspect, like Peter III
equally incapable of governing, and ulti
mately became insane: so that, after all
he was perhaps the son of GATHERINGS hus
band, but. under the circumstances. Their,
is no telling. 1t was this Paul who dis
warow, into Italy, where he beat Morea,
and other French republican generals. Thel
suddenly changing his mind Paul conceived
the idea of aiiying himself with Napoleon