Alexander I saved his nation through an alliance with Napoleon Bonaparte, only to later become the man who ensured the military leader's grisly demise. Alexander II was a well-educated statesman desperate to prove himself to his country, but this desperation to please would eventually cost him his life. Alexander III ruled for only a short period of time, but watched as Russia underwent its most dramatic changes yet.

These three men, connected only by their names and their bloodline, would all help shape Russia into the nation it is today. Their decisions would bring wealth and prosperity to their people . . . but would also cost them their lives, and the lives of royal descendants to come.