BMJ  2004;328:407 (14 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7436.407-b

Letter

Tsars are the limit

The first 100% of the full text of this article appears below.

EDITOR—Russia's tsars were despots.1 Their lineage lost ground in the late 19th century and some time later ended in bloody murder. Tsars were not appointed: they inherited power and abused it. Sometimes their power was usurped by those with the ear of the throne.

Credit: BAL

Peter the Great sought favour with the French court and played at boats with William of Orange. There was only one tsar at a time.

How can a title so suffused in historical imperfection ever be taken seriously? Or was that the intention?

James N Hardy, general practitioner principal

Bethnal Green Health Centre, London E2 6LL james.hardy@nhs.net

Competing interests: JNH has strong republican tendencies.

  1. Burns H. Health tsars. BMJ 2004;328: 117-8. (17 January.)[Free Full Text]

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Relevant Article

Health tsars
Harry Burns
BMJ 2004 328: 117-118. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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