[color=00aeef]News traveled fast in the world these days. 

Within forty eight hours of the tragic event, news of the death of Tsar Nicholas II had reached France by telegraph. While the cause of death was unknown, newspapers all over France requested that the French people offer their prayers to family of the stricken Tsar and the Russian people. 

At the government level, plans were quickly being redrawn and reworked as required. Prior agreements with Russia would either have to be re-agreed upon or redrawn to meet the requirements of the new government and the diplomatic visit to Russia by President Poincaré to help reinforce the Franco-Russian Alliance needed to be moved up in order for the President to attend the funeral of the late Tsar and aid in strengthening the alliance between the two great nations. [/color]