Alexander III succeeded to the throne, and, while an amiable man, he lacked the comprehensive views of his predecessor. He passed forward the work of constructing the Trans-Caspian railway, but otherwise he was chiefly occupied in his self-appointed mission to more thoroughly establish throughout the empire the Holy Orthodox Greek Church of Russia. In keeping with this plan, he endeavored throughout his reign to keep all power in his own hands, and to control absolutely his ministers. He found the task of personally governing an empire stretching one-third the way around the earth to be a task beyond human endurance. The effort killed him in the prime of his manhood. Although naturally a giant in stature, he had been endowed with physical strength unsurpassed by any man of his generation. In his private life, the Emperor was an exemplary man. He married a daughter of the King of Denmark, a sister of the present Queen of England, and King of Greece.
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From General Nelson A. Miles
Thrilling Stories of The Russian-Japanese War, 1904
