She did not see it coming. None of them did. The last thing she saw was a gun barrel aimed straight at her. Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova was one of five children to the Russian Czar Nicholas II who ruled over Russia. She lived with her mother, the Czarina Alexandra, younger brother: crown prince Alexei, and three older sisters: Olga, Tatiana, and Maria. They lived comfortably until World War I lead to a revolution and their untimely execution. After Anastasia was executed with her family, rumors circulated saying that she escaped and people were quick to claim her identity, but DNA testing insists that she perished that fateful night.
The Bolshevik overthrow of the Romanov family line in Imperial Russia during World War I is
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world history, but some circumstances surrounding the Romanov execution are shrouded in mystery. During World War I, Czar Nicholas II created a great deal of tension and protests due to the high mortality rate resulting from the fighting. The provisional government soon ordered that he abdicated the throne, and he complied. As a result, the Czar, Carina Alexandra, crown prince Alexei, and older daughters Grand Duchess Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia were put under “house arrest” (Great Mysteries 90). By the fall of 1917, the Bolsheviks had seized control over Russia (90-91). The Imperial family is ordered to new quarters named "The House of Special Designation" in Ekaterinburg under a heavy guard force (91). July of 1918, the Whites, pro-monarchists, "joined by a Czech force of 40,000 were pushing against faltering Bolshevik opposition" toward Ekaterinburg. Midnight of July 16-17, Yurovsky, commander of the guards in Ekaterinburg, wakes the family, prompts them to dress, and leads them to the basement. The family is under the notion that they are being taken away because of the fighting in the streets. Once in the basement, Yurovsky signals to his men to fire at the family; they were to spare none (92). The killing of the family was a way to ensure that they would not fall into the hands of their pro- monarchist enemies, the Whites. The only way this information came to light was by an extensive investigation by the Whites, but there could be human error (92). Since the bodies were not found during this time, that fact may have fueled the rumor and mystery surrounding the slaughter of the former imperial family. One speculation that Anastasia escaped the Romanov murder caused many people to step forward and claim her identity; yet, the most convincing of these claimants was a woman named Anna Anderson.
She first surfaced when a police officer pulled a young woman out of a Berlin canal after a suicide attempt. She was later sent to a mental institution where she would later claim to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia (Cohen 85-86). The woman, later known as Anna Anderson, would begin a long journey of true or false identity. Of the many Romanov relatives and acquaintances that would come to see this could-be Anastasia, a handful would confirm her claim. Gleb Botkin, son of the executed Romanov family physician that, was certain that Anderson was "the Grand Duchess Anastasia with whom he had played as a child" (“February 06, 1928"). Furthermore, when Gleb Botkin was coming to meet Anderson, she had asked if he would bring his "funny animals." This was because Botkin would draw animals for the children when they were younger: a small fact only Anastasia would know (McGuire 48). A Romanow relative that believed Anderson’s claims was a cousin of Anastasia that was convinced of her identity when she answered set of questions only the real Anastasia would know (Great Mysteries 93). Anderson, also, went through an examination of a few of her characteristics compared to Anastasia’s. Dr. Minna Becker, verifier of Anne Frank’s Diary, compared Anderson and Anastasia’s writing and concluded …show more content…
“identity of traits therefore identity of person.” Meanwhile, Anastasia’s old nursemaid compared the feet between the two and claimed they were the same. Additionally, a cousin to the Czar claimed that Anastasia and Anderson’s were one and the same (McGuire 56-57). The many similar traits between the claimant Anna Anderson and the Grand Duchess lend a plausible theory that she could be Anastasia. On the other hand, recent genetic testing was done on remains found near Ekaterinburg to shed new light on the fate of the Romanovs. In 1991, the remains of Czar Nicholas II, the czarina Alexandra and three daughters were found. About 70 meters away, Czarevich Alexei and a sister were unearthed from a grave in 2007 (Gardner “DNA Testing”). All the bodies of the imperial family were found near each other; strongly supporting the case that they all perished that night. Using modern technology, scientists were able to establish relationships between the remains. The confirmation of the relationship between the mother Alexandra the children was reached through testing of their mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Using a blood sample from Prince Philip, grand nephew of Alexandra, allowed the scientists to test the mtDNA because all of them “share a common maternal ancestor” so they would “all share mitochondria DNA.” The mtDNA in Prince Philip’s blood matched the found remains “proving them to be Romanovs.” The Czar’s identity was confirmed through mtDNA from his brother; which, turned out positive (“July 09, 1993”). To solve the mystery of Anna Anderson’s identity, her mtDNA was compared to the Romanovs. It came back negative. The possibility of Anderson actually being Franziska Schanzkowska, a Polish-German factory worker with “mental instability,” was becoming more realistic. Karl Maucher’s, great nephew of Schanzkowska, mtDNA was compared to Anderson’s and proved to be a match (“February 06, 1928”). These finding refuted Anderson’s claims. In the end genetic testing helped to provide a conclusive theory to the mystery of Anastasia. In final analysis, the two main theories that sum up the fate of Grand Duchess Anastasia is that she either lived or died the night of the Romanov execution.
The lack of bodies after the execution caused many people to question whether or not they died. Consequently people even started to claim to be a surviving member of the family, but the most justifiable of these people was Anna Anderson who claimed to be the lost Anastasia. The more credible theory, that she died at the hands of the Bolsheviks, was concluded through meticulous genetic testing. Based off of scientific evidence it can be seen the more credible theory is that the entire imperial family including Anastasia was silenced forever by the Bolsheviks. While the truth about Anastasia’s fate has been wrapped up, people still love watching the movies that depict romanticized versions of her life if she had survived that fateful
night.
(A) Make a list of the evidence that suggests that Oswald was preparing to kill President Kennedy.
Nicholas II ruled Russia from 1894-1917 and was to be its final tsar. He ascended the throne under the impression that he would rule his whole life as it's undisputed leader. Accompanied by his wife, Alexandra, they lived a comfortable life of luxury while the country suffered around them. Nicholas was determined to rule as harshly as his father; however, he was a very weak and incompetent character who did not posses the qualities capable of guiding Russia through its time of turmoil.
The October revolution of 1917 in Russia was a turning point that defined Russia as a nation. It was one of the most dramatic events in the history of the Russia that had completely changed the lives of the people at that time. The Russlander by Sandra Birdsell describes the live of a girl who was raised on a wealthy Mennonite estate. It seemed like her parents were ignoring all the troubles in the outside world, living a happy life together. But nothing lasts forever, and their happiness ended with the start of the revolution. At that time Katya was only 16 years old. Just like many people at that time she lost her family and friends, who were killed by the Bolsheviks. The conflict with the new leaders of the country started when her father refused to pay taxes and support his country, and ended with this horrible tragedy.
In February of 1917 a group of female factory workers and led a revolt in which the Tsar was dethroned, only to be replaced by a provisionary government composed of the Russian elite. When this government did not live up to its promises of an end to Russian involvement in World War I, the Bolsheviks (“majority”), a revolutionary movement led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the provisionary government in what bacame known as the October revolution.
1) Adams, Arthur E. The Russian Revolution and Bolshevik Victory: Why and How? Boston: D.C. Heath and Company, 1960.
On April, 14 1865 President Abraham Lincoln was shot while watching a performance of An American
On July 16, 1918, the Russian imperial family, the Romanovs, were executed in the basement of the Ipatiev House by the Bolshevik political party. While The Kitchen Boy, by Robert Alexander, follows the point of view of the family’s young kitchen boy during this event, along with a different possible ending to history, it also follows the boy through the poor treatment of the royal family long before they were killed. During their stay in the House of Special Purpose under control of the Bolsheviks, the Romanov family endured physical, psychological, and spiritual mistreatments.
John Wilkes Booth and his fellow conspirators planned to kidnap Abraham Lincoln on March 20, 1865, but on that day the president did not arrive at the location they thought he would. Once Booth figured out that Lincoln was going to Ford’s Theater he and his conspirators planned to assassinate Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, and William H. Seward (“Abraham”/history.com). Abraham Lincoln was the first president to be assassinated. As the president could not escape the southern sympathizers the nation was lead through its darkest hour when our 16th president Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.
The Russian revolution of February 1917 was a momentous event in the course of Russian history. The causes of the revolution were very critical and even today historians debate on what was the primary cause of the revolution. The revolution began in Petrograd as “a workers’ revolt” in response to bread shortages. It removed Russia from the war and brought about the transformation of the Russian Empire into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic, replacing Russia’s monarchy with the world’s first Communist state. The revolution opened the door for Russia to fully enter the industrial age. Before 1917, Russia was a mostly agrarian nation. The Russian working class had been for many years fed up with the ways they had to live and work and it was only a matter of time before they had to take a stand. Peasants worked many hours for low wages and no land, which caused many families to lose their lives. Some would argue that World War I led to the intense downfall of Russia, while others believe that the main cause was the peasant unrest because of harsh living conditions. Although World War I cost Russia many resources and much land, the primary cause of the Russian Revolution was the peasant unrest due to living conditions because even before the war began in Russia there were outbreaks from peasants due to the lack of food and land that were only going to get worse with time.
The Romanov family story is one that ends in tragedy and mystery. The Romanov dynasty ruled Russia for over 300 years coming to an end with Nicholas II. The book The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, & The Fall of Imperial Russia, written by Candace Fleming, tells the story of Tsar Nicholas II of how he came to become the Tsar and fell trying to protect his family. Fleming tells the story of young Nicholas coming to power when his father, Alexander III, died and how ill-prepared Nicholas was to rule due to his father’s inferior teaching skills. The story goes on to Nicholas meeting his future wife, Alexandra, and how they had four daughters, Olga, Tatiana, Marie and Anastasia. With each daughter came a disappointment of not having an heir
Bolsheviks is a group of revolutionary Russian Marxists who took control of Russia's government in November 1917.
Wood, A. (1986). The Russian Revolution. Seminar Studies in History. (2) Longman, p 1-98. ISBSN 0582355591, 9780582355590
“I have killed one man to save 100,000” (“Charlotte Corday”). This famous remark was Charlotte Corday’s justification for assassinating radical journalist and politician Jean-Paul Marat in his bathtub on July 13, 1793. Exploring Corday’s time period and upbringing as well as the life of her victim, Marat, allows for an understanding of what made her the infamous assassin she is remembered as today. Though her actions were seemingly cruel and merciless, she, like many others of the chaotic times that so deeply characterized the French Revolution, acted upon noble intentions to purify her nation.
He stepped down, despite still believing that he could do the best for Russia. The Romanov family no longer had a place in the government; therefore, posing no immediate threat to the country. Additionally, there is no way to justify murdering a child in cold blood, let alone five. The Bolsheviks planned the assassination, brought innocent children to a small room, killed their parents in front of them, and proceeded to punish them with slow, painful deaths (Brennan para. 45). Until 1991, the only thing the Soviet government had to say about the fate of the family was one single line, sent to Pravda, “Nicholas Romanov has been executed. His family has been evacuated to a safe location.” (Earle para. 9) This lie was spread throughout Russia, no one knowing that the whole family was, in fact, deceased. The Bolsheviks were able to trick an entire country with just one picture and the words they spoke. The Tsar was dead, but so were his children, killed to keep Romanovs from ever ruling
This revolution was fought between two groups who were the bolsheviks (pro communist) and the mensheviks