⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 9/10
I have read several books about the Romanovs over the years, mainly individual biographies. Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Nicholas II. Some of these have been fairly massive works in their own right – perhaps seven or eight hundred pages. So to take on the challenge of the whole dynasty in one volume could be seen as either brave or foolish. But it is one the author pulls off magnificently.
At the beginning, the author clearly sets out his intentions. The book is not a history of Russia, nor a serial biography. It is an attempt to place the Romanovs in their historical context; to blend, as he states, the ‘personal and the political’.
Even today, we in the West tend to show a total lack of understanding of Russia, and its history. It has been something of a bogey man for centuries. Seen at various times as backward, barbaric and dangerous, the country itself has also looked westward with varying degrees of fear, arrogance and suspicion. Through the myriad of alliances in Europe over the centuries, there was nearly always an understanding between friend and foe alike of their ‘sameness’; their underlying shared history and culture. Russia never fitted in to this; even when the likes of Peter the Great imported European technology and ideas, most of the country was quietly obstructive.
In this book, the author has laid out a compelling narrative. From the establishment of the Romanov dynasty, he relates the stories of the rulers themselves, but also their extended families (eventually a vast sprawling network) and their closest allies and enemies (often one and the same). The shifting ambitions and alliances; the relationship between ruler and ruled; the attempts to become part of the world order, but without losing the essentials of ‘Russian-ness’.
There was always a dichotomy at the heart of Romanov Russia. The Tsars were absolute rulers; most really did believe they were appointed by God, and were the physical manifestation of their country. Yet they were also fundamentally weak. They relied on a rigid social order to keep any sort of peace; a large aristocracy who controlled the working population who were largely serfs. They were one of the last major western countries to industrialise and produce a middle class, so the vast majority of wealth was still land-based. All this meant that without the support of the aristocrats, the Tsar’s were paralysed; unable to actually rule.
This was made worse by the varying abilities of the Romanovs themselves. Some were simply incredible individuals. Whatever we may think of their actions, people like ‘the Greats’ – Peter and Catherine – are among the giants of history (although Catherine wasn’t even Russian, let alone a Romanov). But as with any hereditary system, you got the great, the mediocre and the downright awful; or perhaps just the wrong person at the wrong time. Would a different Romanov have been better placed to deal with the travails of Nicholas II? Or was their downfall inevitable?
The book covers a huge amount of ground, but never gets bogged down. The personal stories are intertwined with the political because they were essentially the same. There was no political class as in the emerging nation states in Western Europe; all power was firmly held at the top. The writing is always clear and precise, and draws you in to events which are sometimes very complex. Before you realise it, you do begin to understand how different Russia was.
About two thirds of the way through, a thought struck me. I said earlier on that the west has never really understood Russia; perhaps it has never really tried. But I suddenly realised that the Tsars and the aristocracy who kept them in power never really understood Russia either. They had a vision – perhaps more a myth – of what Russia was, of what they wanted it to be. They lived their lives, and made policy based on this vision.
But the myth was far removed from reality; their lives, and the lives of their subjects were so far apart as to be unbridgeable. As long as the people saw their Tsar as God’s representative on earth, then balance could just about be maintained. Once they lost that reverence, then revolution – or at least some sort of change – was inevitable.
If you want to understand something about a country, learn about its past. Russia today is playing an increasing role in world affairs again. Its relationship with the west is a difficult one, as it has been for hundreds of years. Reading this book will give you an accessible, intelligent and thoughtful background to events today. As well as that, it’s a riveting read; beautifully written and full of detail, but never dull.
This is a review of the Weidenfield & Nicolson 2016 paperback edition.
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