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Seasons & Episodes

EP1 Death Waltz Mar 15, 1974

Franz Josef has been Austrian emperor since 1848, yet he remains unmarried five years into his reign. His mother, Archduchess Sophie, is determined to ensure the Habsburg line and favours her niece Helene as the future empress. However, Franz has other ideas and prefers Helene’s 15-year-old sister Elisabeth, whom he marries. She struggles to deal with her new position as empress of Austria, motherhood, and her domineering mother-in-law. Endeavouring to carve some of her own space, she resumes a friendship with her old Hungarian mentor Count Majlath. Her fixation with his country is unwelcome at the court.

EP2 The English Princess Apr 05, 1974

In the hope of promoting a liberal and united Germany, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert arrange for their eldest daughter Victoria ‘Vicky’ to marry Prince Frederick ‘Fritz’ of the Kingdom of Prussia. However, despite her love for the heir apparent and their growing family, the British princess is unprepared for the constraints of her new life in Berlin. Her politically liberal views and her influence over her husband clash with those of Otto von Bismarck and the Prussian doctrine of iron and blood. Bismarck wins influence over the Kaiser and surprises Europe with swift victories during the decisive Austro-Prussian War and Franco-Prussian War.

EP3 The Honest Broker Apr 12, 1974

With Germany united under Prussia, Bismarck seeks a stabilizing alliance with the Austrians and Russians through the League of the Three Emperors. His plans extend to influencing the Kaiser’s grandson Wilhelm. In 1888, Wilhelm I and his successor Frederick III, both die (the Year of the Three Emperors). Kaiser Wilhelm II rapidly assumes the throne; Bismarck is forced to resign when his policies and political style clash with those of the young emperor. The ageing chancellor seeks support from Vicky, but she spurns him and blames his meddling for her estrangement from her son.

EP4 Requiem for a Crown Prince Apr 19, 1974

On 30 January 1889, tragedy strikes the House of Habsburg when liberal Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary and his young mistress Baroness Mary Vetsera are found dead at the hunting lodge at Mayerling in the Vienna Woods, 24 km southwest of the capital, in an apparent murder-suicide by Rudolf. In Vienna, and at Mayerling, imperial officials contrive to hide the events of the Mayerling incident to prevent a massive public scandal, misleading the emperor and the empress about the true nature of the deaths. Rudolph’s letters and the report by Professor Widerhoffer finally reveal the truth to the royal couple. The episode, narrated in hindsight, ends with news of the assassination of the Empress in 1898 in Geneva.

EP5 The Last Tsar Apr 26, 1974

Tsar Alexander III doubts the ability of his son and heir-apparent, Nicholas, to inherit the Russian throne. The young tsarevich is similarly apprehensive. Despite his longstanding affair with St Petersburg ballerina Mathilde Kschessinska and the disapproval of his mother over his marriage choice, he is resolved to marry Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt, seemingly the suitable match. Traveling to Germany, Nicholas II is supported in this by his relatives, including his cousin Kaiser Wilhelm and Alix’s grandmother, the ageing Queen Victoria of Great Britain. Meanwhile, the autocratic conservatism of the Imperial Government has resulted in discontent among factory workers, under the ægis of the revolutionary Vladimir Lenin.

EP6 Absolute Beginners May 03, 1974

Nicholas has now been tsar for nine years and refuses to share his absolute authority with a parliament urged by social reformers. Now married and in London, Lenin is founding his own more radical brand of Marxism and manoeuvres to divide the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party and its publication Iskra from his primary rival Julius Martov. He befriends Leon Trotsky, and despite ill health, at the Second R.S.D.L.P. Congress, Lenin moves to consolidate control. One by one, moderates and liberals are side-lined or expelled, leaving the party split into Bolsheviks and Mensheviks. Meeting at the grave of Karl Marx, many former comrades bid him farewell.

EP7 Dearest Nicky May 08, 1974

Nicholas is preoccupied by strikes and the humiliating war with Japan; the continual unsolicited advice and gifts of his cousin, Wilhelm II; and the health of his only son Alexei, who has hemophilia. A rising tide of discontent among St Petersburg’s working class leads to the assassination of the interior minister Vyacheslav von Plehve. Police attack a demonstration led by police spy and priest Fr Georgy Gapon, killing many. Nicholas, believes that his people are still loyal and resists change. Wilhelm attempts to forge an alliance with Russia. Nicholas, considering Germany’s assistance, is willing to sign, but his ministers insist that they must first show it to France for consideration.

EP8 The Appointment May 15, 1974

When Grand Duke Sergei is murdered, Nicholas dismisses his police chief and considers Pyotr Rachkovsky as a suitable replacement even though he seems untrustworthy and is rumoured to use agent provocateurs. Both Sergei Witte and Empress Alexandra also have grave concerns about him and his methods but for different reasons. Nevertheless, with unrest fermenting and the memory of Bloody Sunday still fresh, he is appointed after seeking additional authority from the Tsar. Nicholas grants some concessions, including the creation of the Duma, as Rachkovsky begins using his forces in a deadly purge of troublemakers and revolutionaries in St Petersburg and beyond.

EP9 Dress Rehearsal May 22, 1974

Britain’s King Edward VII makes a visit to the Royal Russian yacht to discuss an alliance with Russia. Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Minister Alexander Izvolsky, begins intriguing to have the Bosphorus opened to the Black Sea Fleet, preferring access to the Dardanelles over guaranteeing Serbian sovereignty against Austria in the Balkans. He quickly finds himself outplayed by Alois Lexa von Aehrenthal when Austria rapidly annexes the Turkish territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, precipitating the Bosnian crisis. In its wake and with the sting of the loss to Japan still fresh, Russia is again outwitted and embarrassed by diplomatic intrigues and forces beyond its borders.

EP10 The Indian Summer of an Emperor May 29, 1974

Franz Josef fears for Austria-Hungary’s future in the hands of his reform-minded nephew and heir-presumptive Franz Ferdinand, especially because of the time that he spends with Kaiser Wilhelm. However, he soon gets news of the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his lower-ranked wife, Sophie Chotek, in Sarajevo. Initially, he accepts the “providence” of the event and refuses calls to mobilise the army and to punish Serbia. However, the Kaiser quickly insists on immediate and decisive action against Serbia, dismissing the preparedness and will of Russia, downplaying the military threat from France and setting a chain of events in motion that leads to the outbreak of the First World War.

EP11 Tell the King the Sky is Falling Jun 05, 1974

With the resolve and the morale of the Russian army plummeting, Nicholas decides to leave the capital to take personal command of the army, leaving Alexandra behind as his eyes and ears in Petrograd. His son Alexei soon joins him, but his frail constitution soon leads to another health scare. Alexandra, becoming increasingly unpopular and insecure, has come to rely heavily on the advice and cures of faith healer Grigori Rasputin, who also advises the Empress on which religious people should be in government. As a result, Alexander Protopopov is appointed as a minister, but his ineptitude leads other politicians, such as Mikhail Rodzianko and Alexander Trepov, to scheme for change.

EP12 The Secret War Jun 12, 1974

As the war continues, Kaiser Wilhelm, tiring from his responsibilities, allows Ludendorff, Hindenburg, Admiral von Holtzendorff and Bethmann-Hollweg to propose riskier strategies for ‘total victory’ (such as unrestricted submarine warfare against neutral shipping). With Rasputin now dead, Alexander Kerensky incites open revolt in the Duma, who support his insistence on the abdication of the Tsar. The Kaiser, fearful of creating a “Bolshevik nemesis”, reluctantly allows Lenin and his compatriots to travel through Germany from exile in Switzerland. With the help of industrialist Dr Helphand, the Russians finally arrive to a heroic homecoming in St Petersburg.

EP13 End Game Jun 19, 1974

With Franz Joseph now dead and the Romanovs murdered by the Bolsheviks, Kaiser Wilhelm is the lone eagle still standing. German troops move west from the now peaceful Russian front, but the Spring Offensive fails, with the Allies making surprising advances across France and Belgium. Wilhelm’s optimism of his soldier’s fighting will is not fully shared by the General Staff, particularly because of the desperate erosion of the home front. Wilhelm’s cousin Prince Max is made Chancellor as a concession to reform, but that only hastens the clamour for change. The 1918 German revolution finally forces the Kaiser’s abdication, and he flees to exile in the Netherlands.

8.1| 0h30m| en| More Info

Released: 15 March 1974 Ended

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Country: United Kingdom

Budget: 0

Revenue: 0

Official Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007x4y4

Synopsis

"Fall of Eagles" is a 13-part British television drama aired by the BBC in 1974. The series portrays historical events from 1848 to 1918, dealing with the collapse of the ruling dynasties of Austria-Hungary (the Habsburgs), Germany (the Hohenzollerns) and Russia (the Romanovs).

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Cast

Barry Foster

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Barry Foster as Kaiser Wilhelm II

Reviews

Fletcher Christensen I've got a substantial interest in history and this... Well, this just bored the pants off of me. I could only make it through about three full episodes before I had to abandon this series as a lost cause.I'm not a fan of one-star reviews, but it's very hard for me to find something positive to say about this series. I suppose some of the actors deliver interesting performances. I did enjoy Patrick Stewart's turn as Lenin, although it takes five or six episodes for him to turn up. There's only so much actors can do with poor material, however, and the writing on this series is some of the worst I've seen. "Fall of Eagles" skips over interesting bits of history to focus on nobles whining about their lives, and it does this with depressing regularity.Events of serious dramatic interest are often elided with 30 seconds of voice-over narration, to allow the story to get back to bickering royals. One assumes this is done for budgetary reasons and to emphasize character development, except that most of the characters never rise to the level of being interesting, and there's no reason most of the development on offer couldn't have been executed by putting the characters in situations of some historical import rather than Drawing Rooms 3 through 5.All in all, I strongly recommend that this series be avoided. If you're interested in historical dramas, you'd be better off looking at "I Claudius", which manages to correct most of the faults of "Fall of Eagles" and turn out a genuinely interesting tale. Or if you're looking for something more contemporary, Michael Kitchen's turn as the World War II era DCS Christopher Foyle is at least as good as his turn as Leon Trotsky here.

dfarhie-1 When this series was re-broadcast on the old Bravo network, I managed to record several of the episodes on VHS tape, watching and re-watching the copies till the tape ran snowy and hard to hear. I longed for the day when I could watch the entire series from start to finish in crisp DVD clarity. My wait is ended, I am rewarded. This monumental series full of passion, intrigue, historical goodies, court gossip and protocol is just as fresh as the first time it was broadcast in 1974. Beginning in the mid 1800's and ending with the Kaiser's abdication and exile in 1918, this sweeping melodrama covers all the salient points of political and private machinations that led to the destruction and self-immolation of the three great houses of Europe, the Hapsburgs, Hohenzollerns and Romanovs.Patrick Stewart (Vladimir Lenin, Sejanus in I, Claudius, Captain Jean Luc Picard on Star Trek, the Next Generation) heads a wonderful cast including Curt Jurgens(Otto Von Bismark),Laurence Naismith (Emperor Franz-Josef of Austria-Hungary), Charles Kay (Czar Nicholas Romanov of Russia, also Asinius Galus in I, Claudius), Freddie Jones(Witte), Rosalie Crutchley (Mihail, also Catherine Parr in Six Wives of Henry VIII), Barry Foster(Kaiser Wilhelm II of Prussia), and Gayle Hunnicutt(the Empress Alexandra Federovna of Russia). John Rhys-Davies (Zinoviev, also Macro in I, Claudius) and others easily recognized for various character roles in I, Claudius, Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R show their flexibility and talent and act up a storm in this, the ultimate costume drama period-piece.The DVD set is beautifully packaged in a fold open series of 4 discs with tasteful decoration The color is outstanding, the sound almost perfect save for a few variations in volume from one episode to the next, a mere trifle.Every teacher of European History or World History should have this set in their collection, not only for historical content but also for the inexorable march of the familial conflicts toward the ultimate conflagration and destructive event of World War I. It is surprising that the 3 houses, bound by family and blood ties could pull each other to pieces as they did. Beginning with the overbearing and domineering Sophie, mother to the soon-to-be Emperor Franz-Josef,and his doomed son Crown Prince Rudolph (The Mayerling incident is played in delicious detail), then the increasingly enfeebled Kaiser Wilhelm I, and his son-and-heir the doomed Fredrich III, eventually succeeded by the megalomaniacal Kaiser Wilhelm II who led his country to doom in World War I, and the reluctant heir-apparent Nicholas, weak and milquetoast son of the brutish Alexander III who let his country slip through his fingers, dominated by the religiously crippled and pathetically distracted Alexandra, cursed with a hemophiliac son and heir Alexis, ending with the Bolshevik triumph in Russia, the disappearance of the Hapsburg dynasty after the assassination of Archduke Franz-Ferdinand in Sarajevo and the abdication of the Hohenzollern monarch Kaiser Wilhelm II.I highly recommend this DVD set to any collector of historical drama. It is the finest in BBC entertainment of the early 70's, and well worth the wait.

boromir577 I recently watched the film "Nicholas and Alexandra" (Columbia, 1971), and wanted to continue refreshing my historical data, so I pulled out this series, which was broadcast on our local PBS station about 15 years ago. I taped most of it, as I found it fascinating, and fairly accurate according to most of the historical biographies I have read. The series is pretty bare bones as far as production values go, but the acting is very good. It can't compare to the lush photography or direction of "Nicholas and Alexandra" or the fictional "Dr. Zhivago," given their American studio budgets. Patricia Neal provides great introduction/narration. I would buy this series in a minute if it was available on DVD, and highly recommend it to anyone who loves late 19th/early 20th century European history.

zedh Back in 1974 my father encouraged me to stay up late and watch this mini series, which initially I hated. As I watched I became engrossed in this real life soap opera, that eventually caused more death through two world wars than any Hollywood fiction could. It is a superb recreation of the period 1880-1917, full of atmosphere and a great history lesson. Nowadays this would be considered a factional series as it is all based on fact but with extensive supposition, however it is all believable. The cast is extensive and full of well known actors in their early years. The subject is large and the BBC did well to make everything understandable using realistic sets, but no grandiose outdoor scenes that would been ineffective. For example, Archduke Ferdinand's assassination is referred to rather than portrayed, as the procession would have been too expensive to do realistically.I long to rewatch this, so I hope a video or DVD will be reissued, if only for schools to use as a history lesson.

Fall of Eagles