Winter Palace
Upon receiving news that Bismarck had been assassinated, Nicholas I flew into a rage. A foreign envoy had been attacked in Saint Petersburg—this was a slap in his face.
"Investigate! Conduct a thorough investigation! You must find the murderer!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the Minister of Police replied hurriedly.
After a pause, Nicholas I asked, "Is Bismarck dead?"
With relations between the two countries so strained, Nicholas I had never even met Bismarck. Naturally, he was not concerned with whether the man lived or died.
But things were different now. If Bismarck was still alive, there was room to turn things around. As long as they caught the killer, the matter could be handled.
If he died, Russia would become an international laughingstock once again. Unable to protect even a foreign envoy, they could be sure the United Kingdom would not pass up the chance to kick them while they were down.
Minister of Police Dumanov replied, "Bismarck was hit by three bullets and is currently being treated. Because too much time was lost, his chances of survival are slim."
Clearly, they were preparing to shift the blame. Dumanov was also furious over Bismarck's assassination. To him, this was nothing but a calamity falling from the sky.
If the attack had happened elsewhere, it would have been a public security issue, and he would have accepted it. But it had happened outside the Prussian embassy, which was different. The Tsarist Government's police generally did not wander around the entrances to foreign embassies.
Being a bureaucrat by nature, he had to push the responsibility away as well. He had already prepared the excuse: the security of the Prussian embassy was their own responsibility. When such an incident occurred, their guards had failed to react—this was their incompetence.
If one