Russia’s law of suc­ces­sion spec­i­fied that only males could inher­it the throne. The tra­di­tion at a roy­al birth dic­tat­ed that three hun­dred thun­der­ous rounds of can­non fire would announce the birth of a future tsar, a son. If a girl was born, one hun­dred and one shots would serve as the announcement. 

The Russ­ian peo­ple heard four instances of one hun­dred and one shots through the years after Nicholas and Alexan­dra’s union before they ever heard the mighty thun­der of three hun­dred. His Impe­r­i­al High­ness Alex­ei Niko­lae­vich, Sov­er­eign Heir Tsare­vich, Grand Duke of Rus­sia was born on August 12, 1904. The fam­i­ly and the Russ­ian peo­ple were both excit­ed and relieved.