03) Nikolai II's Era
While Bulgaria was celebrating the victory, another big event happened, the current Emperor of the Russian Empire - Aleksandr III Aleksandrovich - died!
The life of Aleksandr III can also be called a legend!
In his early years, he was the Emperor of the Russian Empire, the second son of Aleksandr II, and lived a carefree life where the throne had little to do with him.
But God played a big joke on him, and his brother, Crown Prince Nikolai, died suddenly from a serious illness after falling off his horse in 1865.
On March 13, 1881, his father, Aleksandr II, was assassinated in St. Petersburg by a member of the Narodnaya Volya.
A crown fell on him, and, not quite ready for it. He immediately became the ruler of the Russian Empire. Then under his leadership, the Russian Empire went to the top at the end of the 19th century!
On the economic front: Beginning in 1880, Aleksandr III presided over the development of the Russian economy, and Russia began to industrialize at a high rate and on a large scale.
During the reign of Aleksandr III, Russia reached a peak of economic development and became the world's leading power, militarily and economically.
In diplomacy: He favored using political means to achieve political goals and rarely resorted to military means, so the Russian Empire rarely started wars during the reign of Aleksandr III.
Pan-Slavism, which Russia is also actively pursuing, is aimed primarily at the Balkans and the Black Sea coast in an apparent attempt to expand Russian influence in these regions and consolidate Russian dominance in areas inhabited by Slavic peoples.
On the one hand, Russia's policy in the Balkans has played a positive role in improving its international status and promoting the development of national liberation movements there.
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Under Ferdinand's effect, the emperor who brought the Russian Empire to its peak still did not escape the clutches of death and died in the Crimea on November 24, 1894, after a long illness. (Note: the time is not always accurate, the author found three answers, it can be sure that the year 1894, the specific date also October 20, or November 24 is said, a casual choice is November 24. (No need to ask questions, consider it the butterfly effect!)
At the age of 26, Nikolai Aleksandrovich took over the burden of the Russian Emperor, and from then on, the Russian Empire entered the era of Nikolai II!
But Nikolai Aleksandrovich was not prepared for this. After all, Aleksandr III was still quite young, not yet fifty years old before his death!
Now Ferdinand's most crucial task was to attend Aleksandr III's funeral and console the grieving his knyaginya.
Because his father was killed in a bombing, Emperor Aleksandr III lived in the suburbs and hid in his home, not going out much at all except to Denmark every year.
Because of the absence of most outdoor movement, coupled with his own fondness for alcohol, obesity, and later during the train derailment incident, he used his body to hold up the train and crushed his kidneys. All these factors led to his early death.
In June 1894, Empress Mariya was shocked by her husband's appearance. Aleksandr had lost a lot of weight and often had insomnia. The doctor finally confirmed that he had nephritis, which was then a terminal disease, and after this news came, Knyaginya Xenia returned to St. Petersburg early!
Because of the Emperor's illness, the family went to the Crimea to recuperate in Livadia, which faces the sea and is the most beautiful place in Russia.
At the end of October, the major aristocrats of Europe were notified when Aleksandr III's condition worsened, his breathing became hard, and he coughed up blood.
Ferdinand did not leave at once due to the drag of the Bulgarian-Serbian War, and now that the dust has settled, he has to rush over.
As the Russian Empire's emperor, Aleksandr III's funeral could never be handled hastily, and the major aristocrats and royal families of Europe and the major countries of the world had to send representatives to attend.
In fact, the relationship between the European aristocrats is a complete mess, 'constant and confusing'!
The ancient aristocrats can always find kinship between them! No matter how bad the relationship between two countries, people are still relatives behind closed doors. There is no one to add to the problem at such times, not a deep hatred.
During the funeral of Aleksandr III, six monarchs from European countries, including Ferdinand, came to bid farewell to him in person.
Ferdinand again saw the Russian Empire's influence compared to his last wedding. This time the status of the visitors is a much higher grade!
The ceremony was attended by members of the royal families of Great Britain, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Portugal, Belgium, Sweden, Spain, Denmark, Greece... and other countries. Thousands of Russians gathered to bid farewell to the emperor who had single-handedly sent the Russian Empire to the top. Well, the funeral had just ended, and Ferdinand, who was attending the inaugural throne of Nikolai II, hurried back to Sofia. There were now a whole bunch of problems in Bulgaria that he also needed to deal with it.
Knyaginya Xenia was in a much better mood than he thought and had recovered from her initial tears when she heard that Aleksandr III was critically ill.
Ferdinand thought, maybe this is the European attitude towards life and death, let the past die with the wind. The living people still have to live their lives as usual!
With the death of Aleksandr III, the Russian Empire entered the era of Nikolai II, which was good news for Bulgaria!
The rise to power of an emperor who advocates an eastern advance, and the Russian Empire's strategy of moving east, can no longer be stopped!
It is certainly good news for Bulgaria, which is committed to expanding in the Balkans.
After all, the Russian Empire reached its peak economically and militarily at the end of the 19th century, only to turn from prosperity to decline in 1905!
From the diplomatic relations of the European powers, one can see that during this period, the "Franco-Russian alliance" against the "German-Austrian alliance" also prevailed, and the primary enemy of the British was the Russian Empire!
The Anglo-Russian conflict, the Anglo-French conflict, and the German-French conflict were the three main conflicts in the world at that time, followed by the Russo-Austrian conflict and the Anglo-German or quasi-allied status!
It is what led to the strategy of 'moving the scourge to the east'. All European countries welcomed the Russian Empire's Far East strategy except France.
Even Germany, the world's number one army, was worried about the 'European Rollers', an endless supply of these infinite units which could terrify any European nation!
It was only after the Russo-Japanese War that the world saw the rotten nature of the Russian Empire. The British had to change their foreign policy to support the Franco-Russian alliance in order to continue the 'balancing strategy' in Europe and begin to suppress rising Germany.