Original subtitles

during the war of 1870 the claws of the

Prussian Eagle that sank deep into the

soft belly of France and left her weak

crushed by the ruthless German war

machine Napoleon the third fled to

England and France proclaimed a Third

a strong shadow of Prussian supremacy in

Europe lengthened and has reinforced I

have vigorous and increasing Industrial

it had a loud Bismarck to realize his

dream of a German Empire in which all

the ancient principalities were united

in 1879 the new confident Germany was

bound by treaty to her old rival and

neighbor the austro-hungarian Empire

ruled over by the House of Habsburg at

the same time these two powerful forces

were allied to the imperious and

autocratic Romanov dynasty in Russia her

and Romanov united in a League of

emperors these regal monarchs were Tsar

Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria and

1887 the Hohenzollerns reigned supreme

living quietly with their surviving

children the crown prince and princess

were excluded from power and politics by

Bismarck and the Emperor their eldest

child Prince vilhelm increasingly at

odds with his parents married Princess

Victoria of schleswig-holstein our

goostin Borg familiarly known as donor

what do you think of this picture of the

Thar he sent it to me personally I shall

visit Raja shortly donor and he will

make me an honorary colonel of one of

his regiments his customary grants as

well to be on good terms with them so

Bismarck had been for two decades master

of Germany an honest broker of the

continent the iron Chancellor and I die

I should like them to sling my body in a

hammock between two of these trees it's

a very old custom of a primitive type

somewhere I should like that you will

have many more years where excellency

the first 70 years of a man's life are

the happiest but if my wife is called

away I do not wish to remain behind did

you bring the pension bill draught yes

contented as long as they are well fed

and secured not a state will provide

problem that will take the wind out of

the sails of the Socialists at a cost a

revolution will have cost a great deal

more leave it I read it tonight you need

to I must know everything but I am bored

halt Stein the great work is done when

the Emperor dies things will not change

the crown prince will want reforms and

they will find himself in a difficult

position your excellency is not thinking

and when my grandfather dies will you

serve my father there unfair - I'm sure

you'll be spared but you don't admire

India the capacity for admiring man is

only moderately developed in me it's an

effect of my eye that is chopper for

weaknesses then good qualities

your father will want me to obey the

majority that requires a suppleness of

character I don't possess yes but would

you remain Chancellor it will be my duty

I want you to become a liberal man oh

I've never been doctoring their liberal

conservative reactionary all these names

useless luxuries like the trappings of

State the Emperor gave me the order of

the Grand Cross I would sooner have had

a horse or a battle of good Rheinische

wine your cellars full of wine may be

enough but I intend to drink more than

five thousand bottles of champagne

before my life is up you eat and drink

far too much sad for you I dare say I

shall reform I have a doctor now but he

asks questions and I don't answer

questions hmm then you must have a vet

oh I'm chiefly suffering from age it

will kill me in the end ah ah - things

have given me great pleasure in life

wine and politics now the doctors

forbidden wine and I'm to eat herrings

and drink beer and what about politics

hmm there's nothing more to do in our

lifetime except hold what we had oh but

my dear Prince bhisma yes do smoke if

you wouldn't do my deputies Bismarck I

cannot possibly agree with that there

are always new situations to create Oh a

statesman can't create anything you must

wait and listen until he hears the steps

of God sounding through events

then leap up and grasp the hem of his

garment when I am Emperor I'm going to

make Germany a world power with my

talents and your experience I shall let

be here well I I hope you will be but in

any case I must start learning now hmm

the best school would be a circus

training under a juggler ha ha ha ha all

contending forces must be kept in the

air but only so high that one can catch

them again however it wouldn't be a bad

idea if your highness were to attend the

Foreign Office say twice a week your

father the crown prince has married

certain views ha they're English viewers

with respect they doing no good oh yes

he fails to appreciate the continental

Europe is held in balance but a series

of treaties negotiated by Prince

Bismarck I see we have more railways

than anyone else it yes yes yes the

Chancellor has formed a league of the

three Emperor's Your Highness has heard

of it no it is a private understanding

between His Majesty the Emperor Franz

Joseph of Austria and Lazar of Russia

and therefore Tsar Alexander speaks very

highly of me we all do your royal

understanding will continue oh yes yes I

intend to visit the child in our future

but there's no need he is coming here oh

please read these inside the building

come Oh general but we are as strong as

these pieces of paper and as our army

ballon army is simply a credit of

strength to balance our account this

prince Bismarck used to scorn treaties

but now our position depends on them

they deserve as much study as trains

they resemble a tangle of lines at a

large railway Junction and the chief

signalmen is growing old so young Amend

must seize the initiative your honour

Highness initiative without tact is like

a flood without dikes we have to play

the great game against England against

our natural element there are no natural

allies only marriages of convenience and

what no love fetches very few well then

I must learn quickly oh but there is no

hurry yeah I love it maybe my father my

father is not well I am sorry to hear

that yes coming good morning the part

Willy what a rare surprise why are you

wearing that I put it on as a compliment

to Muammar he thoughtful of you hey I

dress I find you well depart I have a

cold you have too many curls I'm sorry

not by my throat is slightly inflamed

how is Donna oh she is indisposed this

morning but that's quite usual in her

condition I trust this time he'll have a

daughter that would give no happiness to

me I would rather provide princes for my

country and secure the succession but of

course in this family I do realize the

daughters are preferred don't be absurd

and when your mama gets here please try

not to discuss politics no it's

impossible to discuss politics with

Burma she knows very little as you

always gets angry when my my understood

politics when you were in your cradle I

know she has the same views as my

English grandfather who was a great and

enlightened men and who died a quarter

of a century ago I read one of his

memoranda in the Foreign Office this

I thought you knew I know nothing well

Prince Blizz markers must kindly arrange

for me to be attached to the Foreign

Office nobody consulted me nobody trusts

you do them apart it's it's a useful

part of my education to see dispatches

and learn how Foreign Affairs of run the

Chancellor things now I find it quite

interesting this mark hopes to who hopes

to influence you see what I've had for

the last 20 years from that man up it

insults I've never been allowed access

he has my grandfather's permission the

Emperor is simply looking to the future

future thank God is not entirely in your

hands it is your mother's and my daily

prayer Willy that I shall live long

enough for you to grow into a stable and

serious man before you have to rule you

are not ready with him Oh Lamar really a

dear your grandmother would be pleased

darling we are honored by gab you have

yes spare us some of his valuable time

at the Foreign Office where he's been

learning to take over the affairs of the

Popeye is offended by what seems to be a

perfectly normal arrangement Prince

Bismarck thought that in grins Bismarck

has arranged for will you to have access

to Foreign Office dispatches will you to

see dispatches yes mama I can't stand

endlessly in the in the wings of the

theater of life I am an adult and I'm

second in succession to the throne you

are an extremely immature conceited

young man your father has been serving

his country faithfully for the last

thirty years and he has never been

allowed near the ministers you must

write to Prince Bismarck at once it's

only Fritz trying to interfere again

don't be angry Bismarck the crown prince

was really respect the nobodies for sure

not even me well you won't have to put

register its be no easy thing to rule

under you now course Willie Kings must

visit the ministries so much to learn in

government now so much this thank you

hmm when is the shark coming in June ah

I shall receive him but I don't do too

much of this standing so perhaps my son

the Crown Prince wants to go to England

for his dear my mine laws Jubilee

now don't be familiar I'm sorry I mean

for our Majesty Queen Victoria she may

have reigned longer than I have but

she's not so old don't let him go hmm

but I won't have him or his wife

my father has a serious throat infection

the doctors say it may be malignant but

cor sees these photos never our

grandmama is sending for a specialist

from England someone called but kenzie

but no one here thinks much of him tis a

you can hardly speak there is a growth

they have been cauterizing the chords

imagine the pain dr. Bergman wants to

operate having tortured your husband it

would kill him though will you allow it

it is not for me to allow I can only

submit I would say it was better to fall

into the hands of God then he do the

hands of those men you'd have him die no

your hands your husband his heir and my

wife and I feel they shouldn't start

cutting him you should have better

advice whom do you suggest the Council

of Ministers say you should send for a

man called McKenzie who is better than

anybody else in Europe he is an

Englishman unfortunately but I'm sure

your mother can procure him for you it's

not my affair but I help in any way I

I spent my life serving the crown

prince's family the emperor poor old

gentleman is failing and you are Prince

William still too headstrong at least we

yeah it is inflamed from their treatment

simply do you wish to operate operate no

and the operation they suggested is very

dangerous and all your Royal Highness

needs his rest is it malignant no it is

not malignant are you sure yes your

highness quite sure there is no question

of it however I should like the Prince

to attend my clinic in London wanted to

go to non we wanted to go to London for

my mother's Jubilee men go your highness

it will be difficult the Emprise very

frail people would not wish me to go in

I will prescribe it our son Prince

William is preparing to represent us

there is really no need ma'am he will be

disappointed in my opinion sir yes in my

humble opinion on come on hostile what's

your opinion the crown prince should not

be allowed to leave Germany not

important if the Emperor dies zero

return young Prince William hopes to

represent both the crown prince and the

Emperor why and to make an appearance er

I think Prince William has dramatic

rather than political instincts so let

them both go so they'll be out of the

way when the tsar arrives there's more

to state occasions and princes dressing

up there are three essentials for

stability outside the trust of the

people the absolute isolation of the

in June 1887 Tsar Alexander the third of

Russia paid a short visit to Berlin

ruler of the greatest empire in Europe

had turned for friendship and security

to the German emperor married and the

German Chancellor's you're fat with

cares Your Majesty when are you going to

come and see us again isn't Petersburg

oh I was young when I visited st.

Petersburg your majesty or do you prefer

Moscow as I remember that Moscow was all

green the fields were green the roofs

were green when they brought me a boys

egg I expected it to be what you have

business to do I think gentlemen if

you'll excuse me your majesty is tired

hmm a little it's always standing

sit down Bismarck how old is the Kaiser

nearly 91 and you not jet 73 the present

patterns will alter I shall not continue

the three Emperor's League why not your

I never liked it there's a contrivance

of yours or mine like all the rest you

have a treaty with Austria mm-hmm would

you prefer another of what nature we

would remain neutral in any conflict

between Russia and author for how long

no fixed and Alexander agreed to a

further treaty provided Bismarck

remained in power has 1887 drew to a

close so did the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm

the first but the crown prince was also

dying in November McKenzie and the

Berlin doctors held a consultation after

we have reached agreement your highness

then tell us the condition your Royal

Highness is somewhat aggravated indeed

dear one he writes I want the truth I'm

afraid it is the opinion of all of us

that the growth is malignant as some of

the German doctors feared that she said

that it was not cancerous before it is

hello it's impossible to tell and none

of us proposes to operate unless His

Royal Highness insists it's not hopeless

well there is life there is always hope

but there is nothing more we can do

please leave us what don't try to talk

crown prince is dead no your majesty

he's ill but still alive uh in Jung yeah

we like him a Buddhist sudden my livers

yes I think so I'll publish an edict do

Tugwell schmuck I've always been please

the look French giving the French war is

yes not long to go I am to sign for him

until your father can John he never will

I understand there's an Old Prussian law

which states a man who cannot speak

cannot rule rubbish not in any case my

father hasn't long to go either I've

drafted a letter 2% of the German

princes on my accession have you read it

Burnett we can put on our watches but

time doesn't go any faster for it on the

9th of March 1888 the old Emperor died

and they took his body from the

Cathedral where it had lain instead to

the mausoleum of the Kings Prince

Wilhelm now heir to the throne

represented the sickly new emperor who

was too ill to attend the last funeral I

go to accept my own new Emperor's too

ill to go out of doors I stood at the

window and saluted when we went past he

the Emperor is dead long live the dying

emperor can still write called upon me

to remain Chancellor I accepted under

two conditions no interference with his

foreign relatives and no government by

Parliament and did he agree sir you have

there are lumens of work the empress

wishes to be made region Oh much longer

do after and you were that woman the old

Emperor used to say save me Bismarck

from petticoat government well i manager

and their son as soon as he's got the

crown he once I can govern in peace

your Imperial Majesty its Bismarck are

you well thank you except for a touch of

no Roger here which will not go it never

will my new road you never does no I'm

we're intercept done thank you and his

Imperial Majesty he's very weak oh they

have put a tube in his throat the

operation was very lowering the air and

it makes a horrible noise but at least

will he be able to his mind is alert I

hope you will do what he wants in the

meantime I propose that all state

affairs should be referred to me he

emperors my master your majesty I take

orders only from him while he's alive

and after from his son I hope your

Majesty doesn't attempt to interfere

that is hard and very cruel maybe one

Chancellor wishes you to sign something

Your Majesty can rest assured but then

your loyal servant and will be your

and I will never forget that Her Majesty

is my queen vineyards and that's my site

deceives and clustering grapes to close

at hand and underneath the spreading

leaves what yes Oliver not long now your

highness the doctors only give your

father a few hours then we must go donor

come on let's go and change it may be a

plot Oh your mother you mean and what

does prince bismarck advise he's sitting

on the fence as usual biding his time

but leo support you yes oh this stupid

attempt of hers to try and cause trouble

she wants to send all my father's

documents to England his letters papers

private journals they belong to me then

take some how you'll have the military

arrest my own mother well your highness

that may not be necessary but hmm the

so taste that all over the place right

but they're here in the palace and all

I have come to see papa he is dead he's

I know I have come to pay my respects

what are these soldiers they're my men

his papers aren't here on it where are

yours you know where my desk is you had

what's this came from your grandmother

when you or is it a fine boy seems if I

had seen a fine noble ship Sinkin see

all the nations hopes its freedom its

hey well man tomorrow me I'm building a

yacht to race it cars also a train I'm

designing the carriages myself they're

all going to be in white and gold yes I

shall be traveling a great deal huh

and how was your visit to some

petersburg imagine slow very cordial but

the military reviews we saw I thought

were clearly aimed against Germany

fortunately I'm the great favorite of

Tsar Alexander so I shall be using my

influence to deflect Russian military

away from us towards say the Vulcan

against Austria mm-hmm Prince Bismarck

learnt agreed oh he's not here is he

he's just an old man sitting at home by

the snow oh I have great respect for him

of course I grew up as a child it sat on

his knee I don't give him my life for

him but now well I'll let the old band

of snuffle on for a few more months then

ah arrived upon Stein yes sir how is

Berlin confused underfoot work as usual

I never liked the place I never wanted

to live there here our piece of nature

and hunting leave the dear alone no I

rather see them alive than drill holes

and the petticoats I have my trees you

must see my three cell stan i plants

trees well that's tonkin system you see

that's the difference between a

conservative and the liberal I was

nicely dashing about hmm and you

Emperor's like a balloon you don't keep

fast hold of the string you never know

where he'll be off to he also talks I've

been talking to people all my life but I

say it's like water running down the

back of a pelican unfortunately the more

important the matter is the more it

seems to interest him he can talk but he

must act through me he has taken to

dealing direct with ministers there's no

right I have day I'm the Chancellor

until God calls me away it is very

the emperor is surrounded by active men

who advise him to rule through the court

that is through them I taught those dogs

to bark if they think I'm to be

frightened by the noise they're very

much mistaken let me play the lion too

I'll raw that will do any man's heart

you read Shakespeare I have no time sir

you really must return to Berlin sir

it is impossible otherwise even I must

follow one line or the other even you

even you are going to desert me either

the Emperor must rule sir are you I will

not be put down like an old Russia is

the animator therefore we must be strong

and united and above all we must have

good morale now for example these miners

in Westphalia are on strike they're

overworked and underpaid I intend to

make the owners provide better wages and

well the Ministry for that I wish to be

king of the poor Chancellor as well as

of the rich like my illustrious for

their friend Rick the great mutineers

get the police out and shoot them and

plunge us all into civil war I don't

intend to start my ring by shedding the

blood of my subjects hmm well what do

the rest of you say I see I have no

ministers you're all Bismarck's if you

emerges the insists on these dangerous

policies yes your majesty should

constitutionally consult his Chancellor

you're never in Berlin this is a royal

order made by his late Majesty in 1852

if I may draw your Majesty's attention

to it that forbids other ministers to

approach the crown without the consent

of the minister president which I also

am what is this old piece of paper he

it is despair Your Majesty we have come

from the political death bed of a great

man you can revoke the 1852 order by

Royal Decree can I host an oh yes all

your majesty could call upon the

Chancellor to annul the order if you

and it would be his own doing oh then I

would feel as if I'd lost another

grandfather still if this is the fate

which God has decided for me then I must

bear it I must find a new chancellor

y'all advised me there Phillip and

brothers they will answer for the army

you of course climb post time we'll take

the foreign ministry thank you sir hmm

yes well I shall visit prince bismarck

myself then first thing tomorrow morning

see to it so it has fallen to me then to

be the officer of the watch on the ship

and state the course remains the same

do you trust whole stack oh he works

there's no imagination as any claims a

distinction is to have ordered an egg on

a veal cutlet may I advise Her Majesty

of course of course I'm Danny wood Your

Majesty should proclaim the princes mark

had to retire because of your health

Majesty I have been waiting for half an

no I sent you a message nobody told me I

wasn't a garden playing with the dog it

will your majesty please dump no no I

have a busy morning I see that you are

not exactly overwhelmed with the

business of State oh I see all the

necessary papers every evening after

dinner I said to go through them

everything is referred to you too much

too much yes I agree too much has

something considerable to carry your

Majesty here that early I feeling

perfectly shaved that incorrectly

address oh please do your majesty sit

you have invoked the order of my royal

forbear Rosa law made to establish the

position of the first minister which I

will now read oak Magister doesn't

intend to diminish the chancellorship I

have the power to do you wish to sign it

or will you still oppose me I'll pose

what is unwise I have served you your

father your grandfather but your Majesty

wishes to do everything I wish to be

obey you find any number of people who

will obey who can be like the Tsar and

rule through the trees I stand for good

government and I do not just because you

are elderly do not suppose that you may

speak as you wish just making us to man

I as the old and you as the young one

but man to man your powers stop at my

then who is to rule Germany the Emperor

or his Chancellor the two together but I

I've worn my yokel long enough for

better masters who may take my papers

news if you want to oh I beg your

Majesty's pop I spoke hastily and very

stupidly what is this the Russian

Imperial crest nothing that's private

it's a letter isn't it from the DAR it's

personal it's about me isn't real

majesty honest me with his confidence

why should he write to you about me it's

conversation he is a badly brought up

of bad faith it says opinion I will not

have it in future all state affairs are

to be referred to me much they expect me

to resign you may write your letter when

you wish I will accept it I'm not

ungrateful but I another child I'll say

I am [\xa0__\xa0] Rock your majesty

we can arrive at some arrangement

thank you for seeing me mom I have come

from his Imperial Majesty that is

usually exhausting are you well possibly

the muscles on my face are like a set of

bells once put into motion they will

but you suffer yourself what have you

come to say to me I was woken badly His

Majesty called that the Chancellor and I

had not been told our meeting was sordid

I will not bore you with the details the

emperor has commanded me to resign I'm

sorry are you I'm sorry if it was done

I must confess I did get into a rage and

I made a mistake but I shall offend your

I'm past offense it's not important I

think I should have watched over your

son more carefully since he came to the

throne we watched him well enough before

I have settled all Europe except him I

think it's commonplace that one one has

nourished should bring one down but it

I have come to ask for your Majesty's

help I do not relish oblivion I cannot

I thought only this could move me now

you know what it is to lose one's

position I've never cared for the

trappings of position I've cared for

power and that is our duty you think it

was easy and that I didn't have any

feelings often the slightest thing

assumes vast proportions and the night

and lies like a mountain on my chest

I've spent the whole nights hating and

yet the mornings I live for it again

I'm the iron support of this country you

must speak to the Emperor for me I'm

sorry you yourself Prince Bismarck have

destroyed all my influence with my son I