The Hills of Manchuria

The Russo-Japanese War, December 1904. Port Arthur has not fallen yet, but this tragic event is just around the corner. And even within the circle of the Russian emperor, not everyone wants victory for the Russian Empire. The bourgeoisie is scrambling for power, and some of the wealthy men imagine that a military defeat will bring about the long-awaited reforms along the European model: the tsar should reign, and they will rule—the owners of factories, newspapers, and steamships. They are backed by London and Paris banking houses and by domestic masters of major deals; and behind them stands all-powerful Freemasonry. And against such force, desperate heroism and sacrifices by Russian soldiers, sailors, and officers are useless. Someone gets grief and death, while those who hold capital have unlimited power.

And at this critical moment, a mysterious third party enters the war. The world’s politics gets its own sword thrown onto the scales by the autocratic Grand Duke Artansky himself—a lover of swift, crushing blows and final victories. He answers for his deeds only to the Almighty. A little time will pass— and the world will understand that this man brought with him irreversible changes.