[How About This Book] The Giant Russian Empire Collapses Due to 'Hemophilia'

Genetic Disease of British Queen Victoria
Second Daughter, Granddaughter, and Great-Grandson...
Healer Rasputin's Treatment Efforts
Under Emperor's Protection, 'Political Manipulation'
Public Opinion Worsens... Leads to Revolution

Biological Factors of Humanity...
Sometimes a Decisive Blow Changing History

Nicholas II (1868?1918) was the last emperor of the Russian Empire (1721?1917). He ascended the throne in 1894, was defeated in the Russo-Japanese War (1904?1905), and was abdicated during the February Revolution in 1917 amid World War I. The following year, he and his family were executed by revolutionary forces. This marked the end of the Romanov dynasty, which had ruled Russia for over 300 years from the accession of Michael I as Tsar of the Tsardom of Rus (1547?1721) in 1613 through the Russian Empire period. Nicholas II became a symbol of an incompetent monarch.

There are many reasons why Nicholas II lost public support during the late imperial period, including political and economic turmoil, but Lewis Dartnell, a professor of science communication at the University of Westminster in the UK, focuses on genetic factors in his book Being Human. Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra had four daughters before having a son, Alexei, in 1904, who suffered from hemophilia.

Hemophilia is a disorder in which blood does not clot properly, leading to prolonged bleeding. This is due to a deficiency in clotting factors, whose genes are located on the X chromosome. Because of this, hemophilia is more common in males, who have only one X chromosome, than in females, who have two.

Nicholas II’s wife, Alexandra, was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria (1819?1901), who ruled the United Kingdom for 64 years. Queen Victoria was a carrier of hemophilia, meaning she had one normal X chromosome and one X chromosome with the clotting factor gene deficiency, so she carried the gene but did not show symptoms.

Unfortunately, Queen Victoria’s hemophilia gene was passed down through her second daughter and granddaughter Alexandra to her great-grandson Alexei. Nicholas II and Alexandra were constantly anxious that their frail son might bleed. Alexandra, searching for treatments by all means, was introduced in 1907 to Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, a mystic who showed remarkable ability to calm Alexei. The imperial couple relied on Rasputin, who, under their protection, meddled in state affairs, interfering in domestic policies and appointments to key positions such as prime minister and ministers. Public opinion of the royal family worsened, eventually leading to revolution.

In Being Human, Professor Dartnell intriguingly presents how biological characteristics of humans have driven changes in history and culture. Being Human is the final book in a trilogy by Dartnell, following Essential Science for Sapiens and Origin.

Queen Victoria, a hemophilia carrier, had nine children and arranged strategic marriages for her descendants across European royal families to maintain peace. Her hemophilia gene thus had a significant impact on European history. Spain was affected as much as Russia. The gene was also inherited by Victoria’s youngest daughter, Victoria Eugenie. Spain’s King Alfonso XIII (1886?1941) married Victoria Eugenie’s daughter, and their first son suffered from hemophilia, causing major turmoil over the Spanish succession.

Professor Dartnell examines the influence of human biological factors on history from various perspectives, including DNA, infectious diseases, epidemics, and cognitive biases.

The Panama Canal opened in 1914, but over 200 years earlier, in the late 17th century, Scotland attempted to establish a colony near the Isthmus of Panama to control the area. This was called the Darien Scheme, named after the region. However, Darien remains a remote and difficult area to access even today. In 1698, five ships carrying 1,200 settlers departed Scotland. Many settlers died from malaria and yellow fever upon arrival. Scotland sent 2,500 people in four waves, but only 20% survived. Scotland’s initial motivation for the Darien Scheme was to establish a solid economic base to escape England’s oppressive economic sanctions. However, the failure of the scheme worsened Scotland’s financial difficulties and ultimately led to its union with England in 1707.

One reason the United States was able to win the war of independence against Britain was also malaria and yellow fever. At the time, cinchona bark was effective against malaria, but the British army lacked this preventive medicine. The only source of cinchona bark was the Andes Mountains in Peru, which was under Spanish control, and Spain sided with the United States. By excluding Britain from the supply of cinchona bark, Spain helped the American victory.

Many other fascinating historical and cultural stories follow. The Viking Age from the 8th to 11th centuries was caused by the system of primogeniture. During this period, the number of younger sons in Northern Europe increased significantly, and since they could not inherit land, they had no choice but to venture overseas. Professor Dartnell also explains that the United States’ obsession with the Iraq War and the enormous losses Britain and France endured developing the supersonic aircraft Concorde were originally due to cognitive biases. Through these intriguing historical facts, Dartnell shows that the history and culture humanity has built were achieved through efforts to compensate for or overcome our weaknesses. In other words, understanding ourselves better can help us overcome future challenges and crises.

In his conclusion, Professor Dartnell points out that the reason we consume processed foods, despite knowing they are unhealthy and cause obesity, is also due to cognitive biases. We tend to overvalue immediate rewards while ignoring long-term consequences. He emphasizes that the greatest immediate threat to humanity is climate change and urges us to prepare long-term solutions rather than focusing on short-term gains.

Being Human | Written by Lewis Dartnell | Translated by Lee Chung-ho | Heurim Publishing | 440 pages | 26,000 KRW