Succession and the surviving Romanov dynasty

The counterfactual cannot settle the Romanov succession cleanly because the heir's age and health, the tsar's choices, and the fate of other European dynasties all constrain the outcome. Nicholas might hold power long enough for his son to succeed, while his daughters are portrayed as unlikely to provide an easy external marriage solution. The February Revolution's incoherent coalition makes control of the tsar especially important because different factions wanted incompatible outcomes. The historical abdication also shows how poorly the family managed its escape options when an early train journey through Denmark toward Canada might have offered safety.