Alexander IV
 | |
| Emperor of Russia | |
| Reign | 27 May 1867 – 14 September 1903 |
| Coronation | 28 April 1868 |
| Born | Henry William Theodore Frederick 3 July 1825 Soestdijk Palace, the Netherlands |
| Died | 14 September 1903 (age 78) Moscow Kremlin, Moscow, Russian Empire |
| Issue | Peter III |
| Father | Prince Henry-Maurice of the Netherlands |
| Mother | Grand Duchess Solomonia Vasilievna of Russia |
| Religion | Dutch Reformed Church (to 1860) Russian Orthodox Church (from 1860) |
Alexander IV Fedorovich or Henry-Williams (3 July 1825 – 14 September 1903) was co-Emperor of Russia from 1867 until his death in 1903. He ruled alongside his Russian wife, Queen Anna II, and their joint rule is known as the period of the Orthodox Monarchs of Russia. Born a member of the Orange-Nassau dynasty, he came to power by quashing the claims of his feeble cousin-in-law, Prince Ivan Alexandrovich in 1867.
Henry-Williams' reign was dedicated to the implementation of numerous economic and social reforms as well as the territorial growth of the Russian Empire. The Emperor and his queen were particularly invested in the development of the eugenics movement and transcontinental rail transportation. 1867 to 1885, often considered the peak of his time on the throne, saw Russia consolidate its territory with the annexation of Crimea and Ottoman Moldavia in the west and the state-ization of colonial Alyeska in the east.
Early life
He was born the second son of Prince Henry-Maurice of the Netherlands and Grand Duchess Solomonia Vasilievna of Russia on 3 July 1825, roughly eighteen years after the conclusion of the Augustine Wars. Derived from his full name and title Prince Henry William Theodore Frederick, he was affectionately known among the Dutch aristocracy as 'Hendrik Willems', a stereotypical working-class name on account of his irritability and ruggedness. This byname would eventually become divorced of its original connotations and became adopted by the entire country.
In 1846, he joined the Engineers' Regiment of the Royal Dutch Army. Owing to his passion and expertise in logistics, he climbed the ranks quickly, becoming a lieutenant-colonel by 1850. With the outbreak of the Wars of Dutch Humiliation, he was briefly deployed in Tauland in order to support the Dutch-allied Qing dynasty in their fight against rebel forces. The Prince sustained several injuries, losing three fingers due to an incident with a malfunctioning cannon. Upon his return to the Netherlands, he was promoted to Colonel of the Engineers' Regiment. Shortly after completing a course at Marksburg Military Academy in modern Rhineland, he was awarded the rank of Brigadier-General.
While entertaining the possibility of a full-time career as a military instructor, he was sent to Russia as part of a diplomatic envoy, where he met his future wife, Princess Anna Petrovna. They were married on 15 July 1859, when he was thirty-four and the Princess was twenty-five. In order to marry her, he defied the wishes of his father, Prince Henry-Maurice, and abandoned many of his responsibilities in the Netherlands, alienating much of his extended family. He also converted to Russian Orthodoxy with the baptismal name Alexander Fedorovich, outraging Calvinist Dutch society. In May 1860, the Princess gave birth to Henry-Williams' eldest son, successor, and last Emperor of Russia, Peter III.
