LES DERNIERS TSARS - Les abonnés de Netflix amateurs d’histoire et de royautés ont pu découvrir la nouvelle série en ligne sur la plateforme. Les derniers tsars (The Last Czars, en version originale) est une série qui retrace l’histoire de la famille Romanov de 1894, date de l’accession au trône du dernier empereur Nicolas II, jusqu’à l’exécution de toute la famille en 1917.
La série démarre donc avec l’accession au pouvoir de Nicolas II, un homme qui n’avait pas la carrure pour supporter le poids de cette tâche. Il est épaulé et surtout influencé par son oncle, le grand-duc Sergueï, très conservateur, qui refuse d’imaginer l’assouplissement de la monarchie absolue. En 6 épisodes, on suit la vie de la famille Romanov, dont le couple impérial apparaît comme un couple uni, amoureux et solide, mais dominé par une femme capricieuse, très centrée sur des intérêts égoïstes.
La belle tsarine Alexandra Fedorovna, née princesse Alix de Hesse en Allemange, a déjà accouché de plusieurs enfants… toutes des filles. Lorsqu’elle mettra au monde son cinquième enfant, enfin un héritier mâle, on découvre que le tsarévitch Alexis est hémophile. Cet événement va faire basculer la vie de toute la famille fragilisée par la peur de perdre cet enfant tant attendu, unique héritier potentiel de l’empire.
On assiste alors à l’arrivée romancée et parfois fantasque du moine et guérisseur Raspoutine à la cour de Saint-Pétersbourg. Il usurpe une place non justifiée au nom du fait qu’il est perçu comme le seul a pouvoir guérir le tsarévitch. Le célèbre personnage est parfaitement caricaturé pour être détestable à nos yeux, sa perfidie et sa perversion nous deviennent progressivement aussi insupportable qu’il le fut pour tout le peuple russe dans son ensemble.
Rapidement, le peuple se rebelle et la famille impériale, totalement coupée de la réalité de la vie des paysans et autres citoyens russes, ne se rend pas compte qu’elle va droit à sa perte. Cet aspect est parfaitement décrit, il n’est pas s’en rappeler l’état d’esprit de Louis XVI et de Marie-Antoinette à la veille des événements qui leur coutèrent la vie.
En parallèle (dans un temps avancé), l’histoire suit l’authentification d’une femme désorientée qui prétend être la princesse Anastasia, ayant survécu au massacre de la famille. Cette intrusion alourdit quelque peu le récit, mais il reste tonique et à tout moment très prenant.
Un aspect particulièrement appréciable de la série, est la ressemblance physique des acteurs avec leurs personnages. Bien entendu, ceux-ci parlent anglais et quelques costumes donnent l’impression d’être un peu trop propres, mais il n’empêche que l’on se plonge facilement dans l’histoire et qu’il y a une véritable envie d’offrir un résultat réaliste de la part de la société de production londonienne Nutopia, qui a créé ce mégadoc, un nouveau format de séries qui mêlent fiction, images d’archive et commentaires d’experts face caméra.
En effet, la série est à 80% composée de scènes de fiction, jouées par des acteurs et 20% de scènes de style documentaire. Des images d’archive entrecoupent des scènes de fiction, afin d’encore mieux appréhender les événements de l’époque. Pour donner de l’autorité historique aux images, les scènes de fiction sous parfois soutenues par les propos d’historiens comme Marina Alexandrovna professeure à l’Université du Texas ou de Pablo de Orellana, du King’s College de Londres. Le mélange est tout à fait pertinent et équilibré, il offre un ensemble à la fois agréable et très instructif.
NOTE 15/20 - Tonique, passionnant sans être transcendant, mais bien documenté et pensé avec finesse et profondeur. Un divertissement pertinent et instructif.
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A change of hearts | chapter VIII
A/N: I am so sorry I haven't updated this story in so long, I've been dealing with school and depression honestly. Sorry if everything isn't super politically correct I am not European so I am a bit stupid on their political happenings. This isn't meant to be offensive to anyone.
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For a long time things had been going well between Ludwig and Francis. Their relationship blossomed and Germany eventually proposed, with France happily accepting the offer. However they knew there were challenges ahead. The first obstacle was their fellow nations.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT! FRANCE HOW COULD YOU!?" Was the first response exclaimed after Germany formally made the announcement at a world meeting. The other nations were equally as confused and disgruntled with the match. England marched right up to the German, "YOU BRAINWASHED HIM OR SOMETHING DIDN'T YOU!?". Ludwig, offended by such a notion retorted.
"Of course not." In a polite yet stern tone,
"Angleterre that's rude of you to suggest! Even for a connard like you!" Francis stood up to defend his partner.
"OH I'M BEING RUDE FOR TERRORIZING YOU!? THE MAN THAT HELD YOU PRISONER? THE ONE WHO DESTROYED NOT ONLY YOUR COUNTRY BUT COUNTLESS OTHERS!?" Germany immediately left the room, sensing that he wasn't wanted. A fist fight broke out as perusal between the two nations while the others pondered and discussed the proposal.
Italy and Japan had followed Germany to make sure he was ok, the waves of guilt hit him all over again. "Maybe Britain's right, maybe France just pities me...maybe I never deserve a second chance or love at all..." He put his head in his hand.
Italy rubbed his back, "That's not true at all! Everyone deserves love and kindness! Japan and I love you!" Japan nodded in agreement. Prussia who was peering a nearby window saw Germany's sad face.
He banged on the glass. "Who made you cry like a little baby!? That's totally unawesome!"
"Just go away Prussia, I want to be left alone." As he muttered the phrase America popped out of the doorway.
"Yo Germany dude we need a little help in here!"
"Huh?" The Axis trio went back inside to see France and England on the floor while America tried to separate them.
"FRANCE DUDE LET GO YOU'LL KILL THE OLD MAN!"
"YOU DID IT! YOU KILLED HER! I COULD FORGIVE GERMANY A THOUSAND TIMES OVER BUT I WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT YOU DID YOU BASTARD!" England was turning blue in the face,
"That was six hundred years ago you crazy frog!"
"Frankreich! Ludwig wrapped his arms around the Frenchman's waste and pried him off. Arthur finally stood up and recovered, the others starring at the scene. Ludwig was holding Francis and whispering "it's ok" to help calm him.
"Let's go back to the hotel so we can all calm down." The German suggested.
"Why?" England snapped back, "You two can leave the rest of us will continue the meeting."
Ludwig was not one for bragging but Arthur was getting on his nerves, he growled and snapped back, "How are you going to hold a meeting without the two most powerful European nations? You can't talk about the European Union issues anymore since you backed out like eine Muschi!" The room fell silent, Ludwig was not to curse in a formal setting. Arthur stepped back a bit.
"Well at least let us discuss this 'engagement' of yours."
"There's nothing to discuss!"
"We're nations we can't just marry whoever we please!"
"Oh for Gott's sake do you watch T.V? Or do you not own one because you're so old. I've never seen two world leaders have more sexual tension unless you count Churchill and Roosevelt."
To which Arthur and Alfred yelled. "HEY!"
Francis sniffled and looked up at Ludwig. "Allemange it's fine don't worry. Can we just go back? The two of us?"
Ludwig sighed in defeat, "Fine." The two men gathered their things and left the world to decide their fate.

Back at the hotel they tried to relax, Ludwig poured himself a drink. "Why do you always attack England?"
Francis chuckled and laid on the bed. "Because Mon cher, he is a dick."
"And I'm not?"
"Oui but a cute one."
"Ja but why am I more deserving of forgiveness than him?"
"He killed the love of my life. My very soul was crushed. Not to mention all the other dickish things he did. I know he gave me the plague."
"The plague spread everywhere Liebling."
"Oui but he started it."
"Whatever you say." Ludwig took another swig of his drink

Back at the world meeting it seemed more like a riot than anything else.
"I don't see the big deal dudes, being gay is gay. Who cares? I don't."
"It's not a matter of gay or not, at least not in most countries; it's a matter of alliances." England tried to school the American in politics.
"Oh yea cuz you and France are best friends. Who would marry Germany for the sake of an alliance anyway?" Again the room fell silent. Italy almost raised his hand however his brother smacked it down.
"I don't think it's really fair to pick on the guy eh?" Spain retorted. "Germany mentioned it himself, their bosses get along really well. They old the European Union together Si?" On this most everyone could agree. "Heck I was married to Austria for awhile, it wasn't that bad!" To this the Austrian flushed in embarrassment; Hungary twitched ever so slightly. However the room filled with laughter.
"He is still a person and should be treated as such." Belgium spoke up, which was a surprise to many of the nations. "The world needed justice for what he had done and it was served. Most of our people have moved on and don't even remember the war. His punishment was paid. Even if we don't like to think about it he suffers too."
"Belgium...can you really forgive him?" England asked with concern and shock. Poland was still very angry and made it very clear to the rest of the world. Many other countries had done the same. Yet Belgium and France were different.
"At first I really didn't want to. During one of my visits to France's house we shared what had happened to each other...He told me about how he forgave Germany because you should not live with that kind of hatred towards another human in your heart."
"Well France is Catholic, you don't have to share his beliefs Belgium, you're lucky he didn't get you pregnant. You have every right not to forgive him, just like Poland." England tried to rationalize her anger, Poland agreed with him as well as a few other nations.
"Joat but living the rest of my life being angry at my neighbor who I have to see a lot isn't helpful to anyone. Especially me, we aren't humans. We make sacrifices. You and France don't get along well but you still work with each other. Germany still works with Russia after all he's done." Suddenly the energy in the room shifted; It became dark and ominous as everyone turned to the innocent looking nation. "And America." She quickly added and began to retell the story of the Berlin wall and all that Germany and his people had suffered. "We need to lay this to rest; Maybe their marriage is the best answer. Maybe we can all find some kind of happiness in this. We shouldn't deny him happiness when he's grown so much as a person."
"Ja, I agree for once." The focus shifted to Austria. "He isn't the only one to blame, and it isn't like we haven't done bad things to each other before. The Napoleon wars were a mess. England killed Joan of arc, and conquered a lot more of the world than he ever did. Belgium had issues with the Congo, Hungary and I had issues with the Serbians," Though he would never publicly admit he was the cause of the first world war.
"Will their marriage be like most peoples or is it like ours?" Lithuania piped up. "Because they're two guys and we've had arranged negations with two guys before but this isn't for legal reasons, so like...what about the countries who still...don't recognize that stuff?" The focus was again negatively drawn back to Russia and many of the eastern European countries, the Asian nations watched in silence.
"WELL THEN FUCK THEM DUDE AM I RIGHT!?" America very loudly interjected the awkward silence. "We basically said their bosses want some kind of weird alliance thingy so whatever! I say we let them be happy! If Francy-pants likes sausage dude why do we have to tell him what's wrong or right? Like Emma said we're not mortal and unfortunately we all gotta get along whether we like it or not. Yea to us it might feel like it was just yesterday but to the rest of the world it's history, and our pain eventually goes away. I'm not mad at Britain dude for being a giant douche. I got a cool holiday to celebrate! I get to piss him off!"
"WHY YOU-" England was cut off by laughter. No one really dare to go up against the loud mouthed American, at this point not even Russia cared anymore about the German-Franco union. The meeting was quickly adjourned afterwards and everyone went back to the hotel.
Luckily the two were met with love and support, everyone decided to go out and party a little since Germany did announce they were now formally engaged. It was cause for celebration, to forgiveness, happiness and a new beginning for everyone.
Translations:
1. Frankreich: France - German
2. Eine Muschi: A female body part - German
3. Allemagne: Germany - French
4. Mon Cher: My love - French
5. Leibling: Love - German
5. Joat: Yes - Western Flemish
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