About Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia (born 1856)
Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia (Russian: Николай Николаевич Романов (младший – the younger); 18 November 1856 – 5 January 1929) was a Russian grand duke and World War I general, a son of Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia and a grandson of Emperor Nicholas I. He was commander-in-chief of the Imperial Russian Army units on the main front in the first year of the war, during the reign of his first cousin once removed, Emperor Nicholas II. Although held in high regard by Paul von Hindenburg, he struggled with the colossal task of leading Russia's war effort against Germany, including strategy, tactics, logistics and coordination with the government. After the Gorlice–Tarnów offensive in 1915, Tsar Nicholas replaced the Grand Duke as commander-in-chief of the army. He later was a successful commander-in-chief in the Caucasus region. He was briefly recognized as emperor in 1922 in areas controlled by the White movement in the Russian Far East. == Biography == === Family === A very tall man at 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in), Nicholas, named after his paternal grandfather, the emperor, was born as the eldest son to Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia (1831–1891) and Duchess Alexandra of Oldenburg (1838–1900) on 18 November 1856. His father was the sixth child and third son born to Nicholas I of Russia and his wife, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (1798–1860). Alexandra Fedorovna was a daughter of Frederick William III of Prussia and Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Grand Duke Nicholas was the first cousin once removed of Tsar Nicholas II. To distinguish between them, the Grand Duke was often known within the Imperial family as "Nikolasha": the Grand Duke was also known as "Nicholas the Tall" while the tsar was "Nicholas the Short". === Early military career === Grand Duke Nicholas was educated at the school of military engineers and received his commission in 1873. During the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), he was on the staff of his father who was commander in chief.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.