Aleksei II of the Slavic Union

Aleksei II
Imperator of the Slavic Union
Reign	August 21 1888 – July 1 1912
Coronation	January 17, 1890
Predecessor	Vladimir III
Successor	Peter II
Born	October 12, 1863 Adrikagorod, Slavic Union
Died	July 1, 1912 Adrikagorod, Slavic Union
Full name Aleksei Vladimirovich Lvov
House	Lvov
Father	Vladimir III of the Slavic Union
Mother	Imperatritsa Maria Lvov
Religion	Slavic Orthodox

Aleksei II (Slavic: Алексей II Владимирович, Aleksey II Vladimirovich; October 12 1863 – April 28 1912) was the Imperator of the Slavic Union from August 21, 1888 until his death on April 28, 1912. The first half of his reign saw economic growth after decades of stagnation, but the second was marred by the brutal Ledyanaya War and massive instability.

He was highly reactionary and resisted calls to liberalize the country. His economic policies benefited a circle of allies and foreign investors, helping wealthy landowners consolidate large estates, often through violent means and legal abuse. These policies grew increasingly unpopular, resulting in civil repression and regional conflicts, as well as strikes and uprisings from labor and the peasants, which ultimately lead to his assassination in 1912, and a revolution against the monarchy a few years later.

Early Life

Aleksei II(center) with his brothers Andrei (left) and Boris (right)

Grand Duke Aleksei Vladimirovich of the Slavic Union was born on August 21, 1863 in Adrika Palace in Adrikagorod. He was the second child of Imperator Vladimir III and his wife Imperatritsa Maria Lvov. Aleksei had three other siblings: Andrei (1859-1885), Elena (1867-1935), and Boris (1878-1940). Aleksei had little prospect of succeeding to the throne during the first two decades of his life, as his older brother Andrei was the heir apparent.

As Prince of Kodna

Aleksei became the Prince of Kodna on March 8, 1885 after the sudden death of his brother. He had been very close to his older brother, and he was devastated by Andrei's death. As Prince of Adrika, Aleksei began to study the principles of law and administration under Konstantin Pobedonostsev, then a professor of civil law at Adrikagorod State University and later (from 1900) chief procurator of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in the Slavic Union.

Reign

Aleksei made a visit to Zamastan in 1882, where he observed Congressional Hall in debate and was seemingly impressed with the machinery of democracy, including expressing admiration for President William Castovia, specifically for his handling of the Parabocan War. Despite this Aleksei turned his back on any notion of giving away any power to elected representatives in the Slavic Union.

On August 21, 1888 he ascended to the Slavic throne after the death of his father from kidney disease. Before he was even coronated the Slavic famine of 1889 began, causing 100,000 deaths and intense anger against the monarchy over the government's mishandling of the crisis. Once the situation was resolved however the Slavic economy began growing at rates not seen in decades, under Finance Minister Yaropolk Gusev the nation adopted the gold standard and a state capitalist model. By 1900 the economy was growing 8 percent annually and was on pace to be one of the strongest economies in Euronia. However, much of this economic growth was in the form of large estates owned by foreigners. Rural communities and small-scale farmers lost their holdings and forced to be agricultural wage laborers or move. Things were little better in the cities, as the rapidly industrializing nations factories offered low wages and poor working conditions.

His regime became famous for suppression of civil society and public revolts. One of the catch phrases of his was the choice between "khleb ili pulya", ("bread or the bullet")—that is, "benevolence or repression".