It was a decade of economic growth, prosperity, and peace. Trade between the Russian Empire, America, and France had been freer thanks to numerous free trade agreements signed by their leaders. More human capital and technologies were exchanged with little trouble, leading to a boom in GDP for Russia as well.

Education about science, math, and the arts was promoted throughout Russia, helping some peasants find better jobs. However, this led to the issue of rapid city growth, as newly educated workers moved there! The healthcare and infrastructure systems of larger Russian cities had still lagged behind for years. Still, people were overcrowded or sick. So, Olga and Dmitri agreed to at least improve the infrastructure of their great nation, starting the All-Russias Roads Project. Nearly a million of voluntary, lower-class workers would work over the span of the twenties and beyond, paving new roads in smaller cities. The Trans Siberian Railway system had also greatly expanded towards other cities. In return for their hard labor, their families would receive welfare such as food stamps and medicine.

But even these projects and the rudimentary welfare system did not come free. Taxes were slightly raised on larger businesses, richer investors, and the aristocracy. Some nobles became upset, accusing Olga of overly progressive policies.

"It is my duty to care for the weary masses first. We do not want a revolution, just reform," she spoke.

And this shut up the haughty nobles of the Imperial Court, as they realized that the average Russian needed provisions. Their Tsarina had a solid point.

As American inventions such as the silent film and car spread to Russia, life changed. To the average Russian, the car was a godsend! Trips would be much cleaner and faster, and the road project had come at the right time. By the end of 1929, almost one in every ten Russians owned a Ford or Markov automobile. And propaganda films became quite common, showing clips of the Imperial children doing charity work. This would boost faith in the monarchy as viable.

But in 1929 came a rather unexpected crisis: the nightmare of Black Tuesday. The Russian stock exchanges in Petrograd and Moscow crashed soon after the American one did, thanks to little regulations on stock investing and borrowing. But the people still had trust in their matushka and Tsar based on prior successful policies.

And the worst was still yet to come…

November 5, 1929

"I had never expected that this would affect us so severely," Olga spoke, looking at some reports.

Dmitri looked at one report held by his wife. "Yes, I fear that the worst has not yet arrived, dear. I believe that this economic situation will only worsen until something fortunate happens."

"Then we will have to expand the welfare system, to accommodate the jobless, as shown by rising unemployment."

"Well, we could create a program to give them new jobs. The highway and road systems are still not yet completed…"

Olga smiled. "Wonderful, we already have a place for the jobless to work for possible benefits. Perhaps we can further the Roads Project."

"A great idea. I have a feeling that this infrastructure system will be important in later years."

The economic advisor, an aging man in a business suit, nodded. He sat down beside the Imperial couple. They then began to draft a loose plan to address the beginnings of this downturn: create reforms for the welfare system and new work programs. It would be known as Messiah's Basket, a later inspiration for Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal.

After the draft was completed, Olga and Dmitri could rest well for the day within their bedroom. Within the tutoring room, Ekaterina and Sergei were quite occupied with learning Russian History. But they would not know of the stock market crash until the day afterward.

Gilliard then asked the two children a question. "Which Emperor of Russia freed the serfs?"

"Alexander the Second!" both children spoke.

"Okay, that was a tad bit too easy. How about the one who drove out Napoleon?"

"Alexander the First!" Ekaterina answered, while Sergei stared at the floor, wondering what the answer was.

"Mister Sergei?"

"Yes, Mister Gilliard?"

"You need to pay more attention next time. But I'll still let you two go for today. Good job."

"Okay!" Sergei replied, grinning.

"Thank you, Mister Gilliard!" Ekaterina said, then running out of the door with her brother.

Gilliard chuckled. "These sweet children, so sincere in their kindness."

He returned to his quarters, where he would nap for an hour. He had aged, yet he still was as happy as ever. These royals were like family to him, and he would serve them to the best of his abilities. Seeing these children gain important knowledge from him gave him a sense of honor. He had proudly helped to raise the heiress and secondary heir to the throne, teaching them many important ideas.

When their tutor left for his quarters, the children were met by Governess "Nyuta". She was an older governess for the Romanov children. Before, she had supervised the daughters of Nicholas II. She stood before them, dressed in a simple high-cut dress with a knee length skirt. For once, she was glad to see fashion change into something more liberating for women. Those long skirts would often hinder her mobility! Still, she detested the promiscuous lifestyle of the American flappers during the 1920s… drinking and partying without any sense of responsibility!

"Miss Anna?" Ekaterina asked, her blue eyes looking up at the much taller governess.

"Yes, Miss Ekaterina?" Anna Demidova said, smiling down at the young girl.

"Could you make a snowman with us?"

"Of course, how about you, Mister Sergei?"

"Yes!"

"Good. Dress yourselves well, it is cold outside!"

The children rushed to their rooms, where they changed from their indoor attire to thickened clothing for the cold. Ekaterina wore a dark blue fur coat, and Sergei wore a white coat with buttons. Both of the royal children had worn their gloves too. Even frostbite was a concern for the aging governess, so she had repeatedly told them to do so.

Anna felt her heart melt at this innocent sight. Both of the royal children, as if begging her like they would their mother, were pouting up at her. They almost seemed to beg her to go outside to play in the snow with them!

"Such sweet children," she thought.

They made their way outside, greeted by a wonderful sight of snowflakes floating down in the still air. No violent winter gusts or hailstones to bother them were present. Surely the children all could enjoy some time outside, blissfully unaware of the troubles of the world. For now, all that seemed to matter was family and fun.

Ekaterina flinched when she received a small blob of soft snow on her cheek. She gasped at the feeling of the frigid snow, colder than the ice cream she had on her last birthday! She looked at her brother, who smirked. Naughty boy!

"Snowball fight, snowball fight!" Sergei repeated, jumping with excitement.

"Let's find cover first," Ekaterina spoke.

Nyuta patted both children on the shoulders before she sent them off to play. If only Alexandra and Nicholas were here…

"They would have loved these children as their grandparents," she thought.

And so, the snowball fight commenced! Ekaterina, being more thoughtful of her combat plan, hid behind trees and threw snowballs from behind. Sergei, being more bold, would pursue his sister with snowballs in hand.

Ekaterina ducked, narrowly avoiding a snowball to the face. She giggled, and ran to another tree, hiding behind it to catch her breath. Then, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked behind, making a mistake. Before she could recognize the face of her brother, she received a snowball on her forehead. Again.

"Got you, after three times!"

"Okay, you win," Ekaterina said, raising her hands up in surrender.

"Yay!"

The royal children then walked together. They explored along the main paths, and they stumbled across a small white gravestone. Engraved in the polished marble was an inscription reading "Here lies Baby Alyosha…"

"Who is Baby Alyosha?" Ekaterina whispered…

Sergei squinted at the stone. "I don't know."

Nyuta, who had followed the children from a distance, called their names. At once, the two children looked back to see their governess. Nyuta waved them over. Once the children had run to their governess, they pointed back at the gravestone…

"That is the grave of your uncle Alexei, if he had lived past being born. I remember that made your grandmother and great-grandmother very sad."

"Who is Alexei?"

"The late son of your grandparents on your mother's side, he would have been Tsarevitch of Russia if he had lived."

"How did he die?" Ekaterina said, frowning back at the grave.

That is something to tell you when you are older, Your Highness," the governess said.

"Oh," both children quietly uttered.

And the subject would be left for another time. This world would never know how events would have proceeded if this babe had survived. Perhaps other worlds existed where this babe had grown to become Tsar? No one knew in this reality. Not even the wise Tsarina Olga could fathom such things. But there was hope in this world: a hope for a better future. To live, one must move forward.

And so the world did. In some ways worse than good.

Berlin, Germany

1933

Of all things that could have happened, the worst case had become a grim reality. Imperial Russia, not keen on helping its rival, had left Germany alone…

The German Kaiser, Wilhelm, had never thought that he would be facing the muzzle of a Mauser C96 pistol, aimed straight at his forehead. All he had done was to counter the radical communist party that had formed in the Reichstag Diet, and he had advocated for a social democrat economy instead. But it was too little, too late. The propaganda spread by the party leaders and radicals had taken its course, sweeping up the minds of the masses. The Stock market crashes around the world had caused the Great Depression. Jobs and food had been harder to come by thanks to depression and economic stagnation, and the people had enough! The failures of capitalism and nationalistic imperialism were more apparent than ever!

"For the ineptitude of caring for his subjects, and countering the revolution, you shall be shot," a German Kommunreich Officer spoke, his gray eyes narrowed at the former Kaiser.

The Kaiser widened his blue eyes. "No! You all see this wrong! I tried-"

The officer pulled the trigger, sending a .22 caliber slug of lead into the head of the former Kaiser. This killed him instantly. Blood spatter covered the wall behind the Emperor's corpse, and it slumped to the ground with a sickening thud. The former German Emperor was dead.

"It is done," the officer said, holstering the pistol.

"Good. We must hunt down the rest of the fleeing German bourgeoisie and royal offspring! They are a threat to the revolution," Gleb spoke, his gray eyes narrowed at the paintings of the German heir: also named Wilhelm.

And Gleb, along with the German Kommunreich officer, stepped outside to greet the rioting crowds…

"The Emperor is no more!" Gleb shouted, and the crowds and soldiers cheered… while Yakov Yurovsky smiled, feeling tears falling down his cheeks.

For the revolutionaries, it was time to do some house cleaning!

A.N: And so begins the German Kommunreich! As Wilhelm was racist, anti-Semitic, and still a capitalist royal, he would have been the first target. Nevertheless, after years of training and work in the communist field, Gleb has become a hardened leader of the communist revolution. And due to too much patriotism, the Russian Empire did not help its rival: The German Empire.