Gabriel I
Gabriel Constantinovich was a Grand Duke of Russia, being the younger son of Tsar Constantine II, younger brother of Tsar Ivan VII. During the Great War, Gabriel served in the Russian Imperial Army with the rank of Colonel. During which, he led army units against his cousin, Tsar Nicholas I of Ukraine. When the Tsardom of Ukraine was annexed, he helped encourage the political imprisonment of Michael. Gabriel also represented Russia in the terms of the Great Treaty.
With the fall of the Habsburg Confederation, the region of Czechoslovakia was designated an independent kingdom in 1930. Gabriel was presented as a possible candidate, and became enthusiastic about the possibility. Ivan gave consent, and Gabriel was elect King of Czechoslovakia.
Gabriel's reign was tested during the Russo-German War. Though he opposed the efforts of the German Empire against Russia, he was unfortunately surrounded by German allies, and thus felt compelled to remain neutral. Ivan would never forgive his brother for what he felt as a betrayal.
Following the war, Gabriel and the Czechoslovak parliament felt politically isolated. As a result, they reluctantly joined the German led Zollverein, joining the customs union established therein. When Germany declared war on Great Britain, Gabriel declared neutrality once again, seeking to remain out of the conflict.
Gabriel would die in 1955 without an heir, leading to a succession crisis.
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