Alexander Romanov

Premier Alexander Romanov is the leader of the USSR and the main antagonist in Red Alert 2.

Background
Although a charming and eloquent man of peace at first glance, Romanov is in reality a dictator consumed by progressing madness. His experiences during the Second World War branded him; memories of foreign troops crossing the snowy streets, burning factories, his homeland crushed by the decadent empire of the west refuse to die and feed a relentless hate of the western Allies. As he grew up, he carefully nurtured this feeling, drawing both from communist ideals and his czarist roots, drawing up his plan to rebuild the Soviet Union as a superpower.

He realized that the only way to actually be able to execute his plan was to become Premier. He masked his hate well and built up a reputation as a man of peace, an advocate of an alliance with the west. His camouflage was extremely effective - he was hand-picked by Allied intelligence operations to lead the Soviet Union, keep it a declawed tiger. He quickly gained the trust and respect of Soviet citizens and acclaim from western media and politicians.

While the world praised him as a leader, Romanov began putting his plans in motion. With the aid of Yuri, a survivor from Stalin's Psychic Program, he rearmed the Union with the latest in military technology. He used the new World Socialist Alliance, an ostensibly West-friendly organization, to create a global network of Soviet countries that can be used to strike against the Allies.

Red Alert 2 Allied campaign
Filled with hatred towards the Allies who put him into office, Romanov started the Great World War III. He striked hard on all major cities of the United States and Europe. With no mercy towards the Allied army or even civilians, he destroyed everyone and everything that opposed his cause. However, the Allied commanders turned the tide of the war by destroying Nuclear missile silos in Poland and retaking the Pentagon. Romanov's final defeat came when the Allies used the Chronosphere to launch an invasion in Moscow. They overran the Soviet defenses and even Romanov's Elite Black Guard surrounding the Kremlin. Once the defenses were cleared, stormed the Kremlin to arrest Romanov. Romanov attempted to trick the Allies by forcing an aide to pose as the Premier, but Tanya was unconvinced by this ruse and found the Premier hiding under his desk, with nothing but his shirt and boxers. He was pictured in this sorry state with his American captors, and photos of him circulated across the globe, humiliating him. He was later trialed and imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Red Alert 2 Soviet campaign
Filled with hatred towards the Allies who put him into office as a puppet, Romanov started the Great World War III, striking the USA immediately. His first target was the Pentagon, thus crippling the Allied military control. He continued attacking the Allies in many other locations. When the Allies were at their knees, he meant to end the war, but his advisor Yuri somehow convinced him to carry on with the war and proclaim him the leader of the Soviet armed forces. With all opposition eliminated, Yuri made himself Premier. However, Premier Romanov had recorded a video just before his death in which he elaborated that he was not in control of his own mind during the war, and that Yuri was the one who started it. This was received at Red Army HQ and led to Operation Red Revolution, in which the leading Soviet general avenged Romanov's death by killing Yuri beneath the rubbles of Kremlin.

Yuri's Revenge Allied campaign
In the Allied campaign of Yuri's Revenge, Romanov did not have many appearances. He has signed the London peace treaty before the final joint attack on Yuri's forces.

Yuri's Revenge Soviet Campaign
When most of the Psychic Dominators were coming online, Romanov was still in the Tower of London. He informed the Commander of the Allied Time Machine, but had to quickly end transmission, as a guard was about to unlock his cell.

The Commander went back in time, when the Soviet invasion of the Great World War III was at its very beginning. Romanov was still in command, in his office, ordering the attack on Black Forest. The only difference is that he was now aware of Yuri's plans and looked eager to stop him. After the Allies surrendered to the Soviet Union, Romanov led the fight against Yuri.

However, while he was travelling by plane to Moscow, his plane was shot down above Morocco. He survived the crash unharmed, as he parachuted off the plane before it went down. Yuri's forces were ordered to search for him, but he was saved by the Commander at Rick's Place. Upon his return to Moscow, Romanov continued leading the war against Yuri until the end.

Behind the scenes

 * Worth also played the part of Calinar Coltran, the House Atreides mentat in the Westwood Studios game "Emperor: Battle for Dune", as well as General Marzaq in Tiberian Sun Firestorm.