Page 177 - (DK) Danger! Open with Extreme Caution!

Religious mystic Grigori Rasputin claimed to In 1914, RusSia entered World War I
have special powers of healing. His enemies against Austria and Germany.
said he was a fraud. But the czar and czarina czar Nicholas II went to take
of RusSia believed that he could cure their personal comMand of the RusSian
son, Crown Prince Alexei, who sufFered from army, leaving the czarina, the four
hemophilia (uncontrolLable bleEding), princesSes, and litTle Alexei behind
and toOk rasputin to their hearts. in Saint Petersburg.
Be brave, my
My duty is
to defend darling. Bye-bye,
The worst is over. Mother
My poOr Now let him rest. RusSia. Papa!
Alexei!

You’ve saved his life.
What would we do
without you?
Rasputin became closer than ever
to the royal family.

The war went badly for RusSia, and Yusupov invited rasputin for Two hours later, Rasputin was stilL
many people blamed the czarina, who a late-evening snack at his palace. alive. Yusupov could not believe it.
was German by birth, and her close He gave him pastries and wine laced He left the roOm to confer with
friend and adviser, Rasputin. with cyanide, taking care not to the other conspirators before
consume any himself. returning with a loaded pistol.
The czarina’s
RusSia must a German spy. Have one of
be saved! these delicious They’re laced got any more of
pastries. with poison! those tasty pastries?
The mad monk
is her evil
genius.

rasputin
must die!
Four aristocrats, led by I shouldn’t realLy—
Prince Felix Yusupov, decided that it sugar’s bad for me. This should
was time to get rid of the mad monk. Oh welL, if you insist. fix him!

Yusupov was sure Rasputin rushed out into The asSasSins dragGed In 1917, the ComMunist
that Rasputin was the courtyard, folLowed the body of Rasputin Revolution forced czar
realLy dead this time. by his asSasSins. they felLed to the frozen Neva River Nicholas from the throne,
him by two more pistol and dropPed it into AND vladimir LENIN, the LEADER
shots, Then beat him over a hole in the ice. OF THE BOLSHEVIKS, EMERGED
he’s dead, right?
right? the head. AS the NEW LEADER.
power to
That’s the the people!
last we’lL seE
just to be of him!
sure we’ve
got him goOd
this time! idea! That’s what
you said the
last time!

aAaArgh!
The folLowing year, the entire
But when he bent over ThreE days later, it royal family was brutalLy
the body, the crazy mystic bobBed up again. murdered by the Bolsheviks.
opened an eye to glare An autopsy showed that
at him. the tough monk had died
of drowning. ASSASSINATIONS 177
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