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In 1862, Germany was fragmented, consisting of 35 states.

The people longed for political unity...

but the rivalry between the princes stood in the way.

Germany's powerful neighbours tried to use its weakness as an opportunity...

to annex its border regions.

The house of Hapsburg was indifferent to Germany's fate...

and Prussia had long ago lost the power it enjoyed under Frederick the Great.

King Wilhelm I realized that only a reform of its antiquated military...

could save Prussia along with Germany from ruin...

but the quarrelling of the state departments was thwarting his plans.

This is why I have decided to abdicate the crown.

And the facts that I have listed...

have motivated this resignation.

Babelsberg on September 22, 1862

Forgive me for disturbing you, but I was told you asked Bismarck to see you.

Yes, he should have been here by now.

You asked him here without the knowledge of the ministry?

Are you serious?

I'm even going to have to ask him to head that ministry.

Oh, Wilhelm!

This churlish brute, this provincial squire!

He is universally hated, by the people, the press, by all!

He has courage. He stands by his convictions.

He never misled anybody.

For two years, I've tried lovers of compromise and clever parliamentarians.

And what's come of it? Prussia is on the brink of collapse.

We are lost without a strong army.

Think about my ancestors.

Prussia's rulers have always relied on their strong armies.

Prussia has the military to thank for its rise to a great power.

What are we now?

Germany is patronized by Hapsburg.

France and Russia mistrust us.

England instructs us in newspaper articles...

to adopt the English constitution.

I can't do that!

That would be the end of the crown and of Prussia.

Perhaps Fritz can do it.

He loves those liberals.

His English wife has more influence than I do.

But before I allow that...

It is my duty to try Bismarck, even if I find him uncanny.

Roon agrees, by the way.

You and Roon think only of your soldiers...

but we're not facing a war threat.

War threat? If war were imminent, it would already be too late for us...

as it was in 1806, when Napoleon attacked my father.

What if there's war in our own country, a revolution?

His Excellency Privy Councillor Herr von Bismarck-Sch�nhausen.

Your Majesty.

You've been in Berlin since yesterday?

The day before yesterday, Your Majesty.

Yesterday, His Highness the Crown Prince summoned me to him.

Does Your Majesty wish to know the subject of that conversation?

No, thank you.

The fact that you offer to tell me is sufficient.

Please.

Roon has informed you on the seriousness of the situation?

In very general terms, yes, Your Majesty.

I do not wish to reign...

if I cannot do so in a way...

that answers to God, to my conscience, and my subjects.

But that's impossible...

if I must obey the will of the current majority in the Prussian Parliament.

I can't find a minister willing to lead the government...

without subjecting his will and mine to that of the parliamentary majority.

Therefore, I've decided to abdicate my governmental role.

I've already drafted my resignation letter.

Your Majesty has known since May that I'm willing to form a new government.

I'm certain that Roon will stay, and I'll find other men who will follow me.

- So you would support the army reform? - Yes, Your Majesty.

Even against the majority of the Parliament and its resolutions?

Yes, Your Majesty.

You have a lot of courage, my dear Herr von Bismarck.

That courage will be yours, Majesty, if you entrust me with this position.

I have the courage to obey, if Your Majesty has the courage to command.

Then it's my duty to continue leading the struggle with your help.

I will not resign.

Let's walk in the park.

There we can speak more freely.

Who would have guessed, Fritz, that even you would turn against me.

Dear Mother, I'm not against you, and I know that you are not against us.

But should Father resign?

I don't want him to, nor do you, nor does Vicky.

I'm no friend of Bismarck, but when Roon asked him to come to Berlin...

I talked to him.

- You did? - Yes, he visited me yesterday.

I don't think that Bismarck is quite as iron-fisted as you all think.

- He has learned a lot in France. - From Napoleon, this upstart, this-

My mother writes that Napoleon thinks very highly of Herr von Bismarck.

- You don't say? - You know Papa.

He's always been a soldier.

He won't give up until he's tried his last option...

and his last option is Bismarck.

Should this fail...

then my government will follow different principles.

Isn't that so?

This is a government program that I've designed...

to eliminate the assaults in all areas, including the administration...

both by the liberals and the conservatives...

once and for all.

Forgive me, Your Majesty...

but shouldn't these details be better postponed...

at least until the most important concerns are resolved?

What are you suggesting?

Everything is on the line:

Whether Prussia will be governed in future by the crown or by parliament.

In this situation, I know that Your Majesty will make rulings I don't consider right.

My opinion will evolve openly, but if you keep insisting on yours...

I will rather go under with the king...

than abandon you in your struggle against the rule of parliament.

Does Your Majesty trust me enough to let me govern without a program?

Doesn't Your Majesty want to burn it?

Your Majesty's handwriting is well-known.

It could fall into the wrong hands.

You've won me over, Bismarck.

Now see to it that you win over Prussia.

- Fritz? - Yes?

Don't you want to sign the letter to Mama?

I wrote that Herr von Bismarck will become minister...

but not for long, so that she isn't upset...

and that soon you and I will be king and queen.

But, child, you can't write that!

Why not? He won't last very long.

I'm so happy for you.

The Minister of War, von Roon, is expecting you.

Good evening, Roon.

It's done!

- I'm Prime Minister. - At last!

God, Roon, sometimes I thought it would never come to pass.

But now- I've already cabled the news to Johanna.

Was it difficult? Did he set any conditions?

He had a government program, but I talked him out of it.

We have to start afresh from the very beginning.

God, I must drink a bottle of champagne!

Slow down. The trouble is just starting.

How do you intend to deal with parliament?

- Parliament? - Do you have a plan?

I'll be nice to the people. Perhaps they'll be surprised.

After all, they think I'm some kind of a political Attila.

Besides, I like to quarrel with those people.

Bismarck, I warn you. The people are ready for anything.

I'm ready for anything!

Roon, we are agreed.

Our objective is Germany.

As soon as our army is strong enough...

we'll take the first opportunity to settle old scores with Austria...

to dissolve the Confederation...

and to unite Germany under the leadership of Prussia.

Bismarck, what are you talking about? Keep your feet on the ground. What about France?

Napoleon trusts me. He thinks that I trust him too.

He wants the Rhineland.

That bait must be dangled in front of him.

You're thinking about foreign policy while your own house is still in disarray.

I'm not afraid. I know why I'm doing it.

France has not yet reached its goal, my dear Benedetti.

The Rhine is its natural border.

Richelieu already knew it...

and even my uncle was able to hold onto this goal until 1813.

Louis, tell me.

You don't want war, but you want the Rhine border.

That's what he wants, Mr. Benedetti.

Answer in German, Benedetti. The Empress understands a little bit.

No, I don't understand you-

I don't feel like speaking German.

I must test Benedetti...

to see if he knows enough German to be ambassador to Berlin.

You're sending him to Berlin as ambassador?

Oh, God. Poor Benedetti.

Politics, always politics.

It bores me. I'm going dancing now.

Good-bye, gentlemen.

Bye.

Your Majesty speaks German very well.

I went to school in Augsburg.

I would be a good ruler for German subjects, don't you think?

You see...

I'm peace-loving by nature.

I govern my country the way a good banker runs his business.

And bankers don't like to shoot.

Let's leave that to others. Yes?

Sire, I know that in the next war with Germany...

Your Majesty will bring peace...

and in exchange take the Rhine, as interest.

- What makes you think that? - You helped Italy...

and took Nice and Savoy.

You will help Austria or Prussia...

and take the Rhineland for that.

Perhaps.

Mother! Mother! Herbert! Wilhelm!

What happened, Marie? Come here.

A dispatch. The messenger from Travem�nde was just here.

Father has become Prime Minister.

Will we go to Berlin now?

Will we be invited by the king?

Are we going to receive a medal?

Father will have a lot to worry about, but he's always wanted this.

We must ask God to help him.

Can Roland come with us to Berlin? And the other too?

He can't? Well, then I want to stay here.

Come on, don't bawl, crybaby. I don't want to go to Berlin either.

Don't be stupid.

Berlin is much prettier, and father is minister.

Imagine, all people must take their hats off to us.

The Prime Minister will now deliver a declaration of the state government.

Gentlemen...

allow me to speak openly at this small gathering.

The conflict between the crown and parliament...

as serious as it could be...

was regarded too tragically by both sides in the past.

The new government is not looking for a fight.

If conflicts can be settled honourably, it will gladly reach out.

But please consider that the security of a state...

rests entirely on its sword.

Provide the security of our country with your approval of the army reform.

This is your first political and patriotic duty.

He's withdrawing.

I don't think so.

- I ask to speak. - Representative L�wer may speak.

On behalf of my political friends, I'd like to state that the Prime Minister...

has not presented any new viewpoints.

Behind his words, he rattles the chains of foreign rule...

which is meant to scare us.

I, however, heard the chains of tyranny...

that will rattle in this country under the bayonet of his king!

Since 1848, for 14 years, the Prime Minister...

has openly sympathized with reactionary forces.

We will not grant a single penny to this ministry.

The Prime Minister may speak.

Gentlemen, I was pleased to hear that your concerns are directed...

not so much to the matter at hand, but at myself.

People have changed since 1848...

and I doubt that you want to bring back the events of that revolutionary year.

Rather, don't we have a duty...

to restore to our German fatherland the greatness it has lost?

Representative Dr. Virchow may speak now.

The Prime Minister awakens memories that pain us all.

Certainly, our hearts embrace our German fatherland.

There's nothing we long for more fervently than a new German empire.

But a free German empire...

that politically mirrors the intellectual unity it has formed for a thousand years.

The princes don't want it.

Their instrument of power is the army.

The deputies of the princes are the country squires.

Their prominent representative in Prussia is Herr von Bismarck.

Not a soldier nor a penny to this ministry.

- I ask to speak. - Please.

Despite his personal attacks, I'm grateful to the previous speaker...

that he too agrees with the ultimate goal I have formulated.

Only, the path to that goal is severe.

For 50 years, we have heard excellent speakers...

such as Representative L�wer and Dr. Virchow...

conferences have been held...

and decisions have been made on paper about Germany's unification.

Without any results.

Gentlemen, we won't get far like that. We must finally act.

The appointment of this country squire was a slap in the face.

The king will pay dearly for it.

The whole thing is just a passing episode.

Two weeks, two months at most...

and then Bismarck will be finished.

Personally he's quite pleasant, a country nobleman...

but to be minister without any preparation or training-

Gentlemen, do you honestly believe that any of the nations...

which share a border with the Confederation...

would like to see a united Germany?

Hasn't it been the policy of our neighbours for centuries...

to oppose unification with all their might?

Only a strong army guarantees a united empire.

The other German states are not eyeing Prussia's liberalism...

but Prussia's power.

The great questions of our time are not decided by speeches and majorities-

that was the mistake of the years 1848- 1849-

but by iron and blood.

I'll be damned!

Now he's gone whole hog!

''Blood and iron.'' That will make for a nice headline!

Who was that?

That was the reporter for K�lnische Zeitung. He'll show him tomorrow.

One nation. That was monstrous. He said, ''Blood and iron.''

In the most brutal manner, he's declared...

that he wants to fight with Prussia and all of Europe.

You think the king will play along?

- The king will be beside himself. - We should use this opportunity.

The king is in Baden-Baden. He'll return tonight.

Let's send a few representatives to the train station...

and tell him that Bismarck must leave...

or the phrase ''blood and iron'' will come true tomorrow...

but in the streets of Berlin!

You aren't satisfied, Roon?

Well, what you outlined there may have been ingenious...

but is it necessary to throw it in their faces so soon?

They'll use it against us, count on it.

We shouldn't worry about what the newspapers are writing.

Well, the king is in Baden-Baden surrounded by his family.

When the queen hears what you said, she'll want to see your head roll.

You're right once again. You know what?

The king is coming back tonight. I will meet him en route.

You were supposed to establish order, Herr von Bismarck.

You were supposed to push for the army reform.

And what do you do? You incite the people even more.

Your Majesty, I first tried for peace.

I was rebuffed.

We won't get far with parliamentary horse trading.

My predecessors tried that, in vain.

Eventually a confrontation will be unavoidable.

I can foresee exactly how it's going to end.

On the Opernplatz, on the square right underneath my windows...

they will cut your head off and mine a little later.

- And then what, Your Majesty? - What then? We'll be dead.

Yes, Your Majesty, then we'll be dead.

But sooner or later we must die anyway.

And could we die more honourably?

I myself advancing the cause of my king...

and Your Majesty sealing your royal power with your own blood.

Whether we die on the scaffold or on the battlefield...

does not really matter.

But Your Majesty must fight now. You cannot capitulate.

Your Majesty is facing the predicament of an officer...

who must defend a certain position to the death, if necessary.

To sacrifice his life for this task is the duty of a Prussian officer...

and even more so of the king...

the first officer heading the country.

I'm glad you see the matter in this light, Bismarck.

I've always relished being a soldier.

You're right.

If he must, the soldier meets death with the simple response of, ''Yes, sir.''

But now let's fight first...

and win, if possible.

You've cheered me up again, my dear Bismarck.

- You've given me my courage back. - Your Majesty has never lacked courage.

You have proven yourself in the battlefield.

But perhaps I may play the role of indicating to Your Majesty...

when and where this particular battle might be fought.

Berlin, Anhaltischer Station. All passengers please exit the train.

- Porter! - Luggage!

The king.

Step back.

- Your Majesty looks very well rested. - The excursion did Your Majesty well.

The excursion? Hardly.

But here, this is my physician.

A doctor of the soul, Dr. Virchow.

He cures the soul with iron and blood, Your Majesty.

You cure the body with iron and blood, Dr. Virchow.

And he earns more than a minister doing that.

I'm glad that the opposition leaders have come to meet me at the station.

I hope this is a good omen boding well for our collaboration, gentlemen.

Bismarck moves faster than you do.

Anyone who is successful in his field...

seems to think that he knows politics.

Dr. Virchow will hardly allow a smart banker...

to amputate a patient's limb.

But he seems to want to dabble in politics...

which he has mastered as well as a banker knows medicine.

The difficult knot of the German situation cannot be slowly loosened with love.

It can only be cut with military power.

At any rate, we're forced to implement the army reform.

With or without your consent is immaterial.

The government can't do that! That's against the constitution!

1848!

We'll put forward a motion that holds the minister liable for losses and damages...

with his head and his personal assets.

I'll gladly assume this liability.

My politics have nothing to do with my person or with my personal assets.

By order of the king...

I will suspend this parliament that has caused so much confusion...

for as long as it takes to resolve the conflict and to secure Prussia.

You're violating the constitution!

Gentlemen!

Who is this Bismarck?

The king is not violating the constitution.

You are, gentlemen!

You already have.

The constitution decrees that laws must be passed...

only if the king and the state parliament are in agreement.

Yet your dogmatic attitudes make such agreement impossible.

That's what is truly suspending the constitution.

But the government apparatus must continue to operate.

The trains must run, the mail must be delivered...

officials must receive their salaries and you, gentlemen, your allowances.

Who's supposed to take on the responsibility for all that?

You, gentlemen? No.

Naturally, it's the responsibility of the king's government.

The sole body with the responsibility, the privilege...

and the necessary power to do that.

Representative Virchow may speak.

Gentlemen.

This is a dark day in the history of our fatherland.

Amidst the struggle for the ideals of freedom and progress...

Prussia is being thrust back into the Dark Ages.

A garden of the intellect is being turned into a barracks.

No, gentlemen.

Enough already.

We are a land of poets and philosophers...

and we are proud of it.

Don't you see the irony in the phrase ''Land of poets and philosophers''?

While you're dreaming, others are dividing up the world among themselves.

I ask not to be interrupted.

We don't want the world!

We want freedom in our own land.

But you don't have that either. The others have it.

Between Marseilles and Calais is nothing but one country...

while there are six borders between Hamburg and Munich!

The unity of heart and mind is a higher form of unity than any constitution.

This type of unity has already been achieved.

You have to push Germans toward their happiness, by force if necessary.

And to join the entire fatherland in peace.

Herr von Bismarck and Herr von Roon are grinning as I speak.

They are men for whom, as the Prime Minister's words suggest...

might trumps right.

I didn't say that might trumps right! Do not misrepresent my words.

I'm not concerned with words, but, rather, with facts.

Herr von Bismarck and Herr von Roon...

are enemies of the people utterly devoid of patriotism.

But I want to tell you one thing and record it for history's sake.

You will not be able, Herr von Bismarck...

to prevent the unification of Germany.

The Prime Minister may speak.

I'm honoured to be called an enemy of the people by Representative Virchow.

Representative Virchow does not know the people...

and in reality he meant to say an enemy of the parliament.

I don't care about the hostility of parliament.

The minister of war may speak.

Unlike myself, the Prime Minister is not sitting here in uniform.

He's able to answer Representative Virchow's charges...

in a different way than I can.

To doubt a Prussian officer's patriotism is perfidy.

It's raffish impudence that I refuse to tolerate!

I won't allow this comment.

No interruptions, please.

You'd done better not to allow Dr. Virchow's comments.

This comment, I will-

It's my turn to speak and I'm interrupting the minister.

Pardon me, but I have the word. I will not give it away.

I'm speaking and that's my right under the constitution...

and no bell, no interruptions-

If the minister does not comply, I will adjourn the session.

You must not do that as long as I am speaking.

Gentlemen, 53 voices are louder than one.

According to the constitution, I can speak when and for as long as I want.

Only if I call on you and allow it. And I won't!

- I forbid you to speak any further. - I ask to speak!

The Prime Minister may speak.

In this house, the ministers are the representatives of the king.

Thus, you are silencing the king.

Everyone is voicing opinions here...

and the king must remain silent?

The ministers will speak here.

You better believe me they will.

They'll speak for as long as they wish.

If you dare silence the king...

you are violating the constitution and my oath!

I will close the session and report to the king.

No, you won't!

Due to the forceful behaviour of the Prime Minister, I declare the session-

Too late for that!

The state parliament is dissolved...

by order of the king.

- I spoke first. - You didn't finish your sentence.

I dissolved the parliament before hand.

New elections will be held in accordance with the constitution.

Let's go, gentlemen.

Your Majesty, the state parliament has been dissolved.

I didn't expect it to happen so soon.

I'm not pleased about this open break with the parliament.

I want to say it clearly.

It's not pleasant to govern a nation upon which I cannot rely...

and which attacks everything I undertake in the newspapers.

Your Majesty, the newspapers are not the nation.

During the next few months, they will be preoccupied with the elections...

and we have to make the most of this period.

I brought the drafts of the new decrees...

and ask that I may present them to Your Majesty.

Yes, please.

Laws governing the Army Reform Act.

A report on the introduction of the newly developed Dreyse needle rifle.

A reiteration of the duty of allegiance of Prussian public servants.

A report on the military convention negotiated with Russia.

- Has the convention been completed? - Yes, it has, Your Majesty.

That's going to cause another terrible surprise.

The press sides entirely with the Poles.

The convention with Russia will free the rear.

By the time the complainers are ready for action, we'll be prepared.

They sharpen their mouths and shoot with paper.

We sharpen our swords and shoot with Dreyse needle rifles.

Just a moment.

WHITHER, BISMARCK?

MINISTRY DISPARAGES PUBLIC OPINION

PRUSSIA VERSUS GERMANY

BLOOD AND I RON?

That's enough. The boss won't put up with this much longer.

We'll see whether the king will play along.

Look at this. The new Kladderadatsch.

''The new government does not want war!''

Unfortunately, I have nothing to laugh about.

The letters are either nasty or their writers are begging.

WARSAW HANGMAN'S COMMITTEE

For heaven's sake!

Look at this.

That's the third death threat in one week.

You're here late, gentlemen.

Two days of mail haven't been processed. We must work into the night.

Shouldn't we present only the most important things to Your Excellency?

I must know what the mood is in our country.

For heaven's sake, this has really gone too far.

We'll bar K�lnische Zeitung and Trib�ne from publication for a week...

and censor all the newspapers.

What a disgrace.

His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince.

Please tell my wife that I'll eat with her a little later.

As you command, Your Majesty.

I've agreed to this meeting with you although I believe I know its purpose.

I wish to prevent you from adopting the wrong attitude, my dear Fritz.

Nothing is happening without my approval.

Does that include the new decree against the press passed by Bismarck?

That one in particular, yes.

But the decree muzzles public opinion and ignores the feelings of the people.

You can't seriously believe that the press is the voice of the people.

Masterminds behind the party bureaus, irresponsible-

All the same, it's what gets noticed abroad.

Correct! And it's causing trouble there too.

All the more reason for me to endorse the decree.

I've done my duty by warning you.

As your son and as the Crown Prince, I should be in your confidence.

You're navigating in waters...

that could become dangerous to yourself and to our country.

I also want to warn your wife.

We may be facing difficult decisions.

Poland is in turmoil...

and Denmark is getting ready...

to annex the independent duchies of Schleswig and Holstein.

We would then have to use force to regain them.

A war?

I foresee several complications...

if Bismarck continues to treat the world to the methods of a Pomeranian country squire-

And I, the king, declare that I trust Bismarck completely.

Careful! Let's not do anything rash.

Yes, Majesty, but-

Bismarck has even put the newspapers under his control.

Prussia is in disarray.

We must not miss the opportunity.

If I could make up for what Prussia did to Empress Maria Theresa...

it would be the happiest day of my life.

The goal now is to reclaim the German emperor's crown.

We need the German soldiers.

The house of Hapsburg rules over few Germans...

but it has all the more subjects who are Czech, Polish, Hungarian, Italian...

Russian, Serb, and Croat, who all want to secede.

Prussia pursues solely German interests.

It has always been repugnant to us...

but now we can strike because Prussia is not united.

But no war, Richter!

I'd rather try to win over the German princes.

But do so soon, before it's too late, Your Majesty.

Call a meeting of the princes, give a new constitution to Germany...

with you in command as emperor and commander of the federal army.

Those are grand ideas, my dear Rechberg.

Emperor of Germany.

If the German unification is prompted by the princes...

it will take the wind out of the revolutionaries' sails.

That should also persuade King Wilhelm.

His own family quarrels with him because of Bismarck.

Fritz also says that he views Bismarck...

as the worst adviser of the crown and the fatherland.

How fortunate is our beloved England...

where such a step backwards would never be possible!

Willy has gotten his first tooth and-

Bismarck.

There you have it.

Not even the Crown Prince agrees with Bismarck's policies.

We want to publish the letter of the Crown Princess on the front page.

That should breathe life into the progressive cause.

A LETTER FROM THE PRUSSIAN CROWN PRINCESS

It's an outrage! Now even the crowned shrews are speaking up.

What an ignoble trade we have to mess with, don't you think?

The English pony cannot fathom Prussian discipline.

If the king were a commoner, he'd give his daughter-in-law a whipping.

Let's hope the old gentleman doesn't get too upset.

The spa treatments at Baden-Baden always wear him out.

Yes, all his relatives sit around...

and keep telling him to go to Frankfurt...

and attend Emperor FranzJosef's conference of the princes.

We can't afford to waste any time.

Go to Frankfurt.

Everybody is against him. Believe me, everybody.

He has no manners.

Are you sure? He's a gentleman.

You only do what he wants.

Haven't you noticed how he holds increasing sway over you?

To me, you don't even act like a member of the Hohenzollern family anymore.

Who knows how far his ambitions may push him?

Your sister agrees with me.

I consider him absolutely loyal. Loyal servants deserve loyal masters.

Let's not talk about it anymore.

Will you accompany me to the Promenade?

Our friend will come in half an hour. We could all go for a walk.

Your Majesty, His Excellency the Prime Minister, has just arrived.

- Bismarck is here? - He has not requested an appointment.

Something must have happened.

You promised me you'd go to Frankfurt.

Please show in von Bismarck.

You promised me that you would go to Frankfurt.

You can't snub the Emperor like that.

We'll hear what Bismarck has to say about that.

Your Majesty.

No doubt you have important news, my dear Bismarck. Tell me, please.

It was not my intention to disturb Your Majesty.

Tell me, please.

The Emperor has issued a new invitation to come to Frankfurt...

and expects an answer today.

Herr von Bismarck, all our relatives believe...

that only Prussia's absence could prevent the conference's success.

Dear child, please let us speak in private.

We must reach a decision soon.

The familial influence and endeavours of which Your Majesty just spoke...

have triggered a momentous event in Prussian politics.

I'm asking Your Majesty to read this article.

It's a letter written by Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess to her mother...

that was published in the Times and in S�ddeutsche Post.

I wouldn't have believed this could happen!

That a Prussian prince and officer, my son...

would tolerate such insubordination in his own house!

How can a king who cannot rein in his family reign his country?

This will have grave consequences!

I will divest him of office and all his duties.

His wife may take a trip and travel to England...

or see whether I care where she chooses to go.

Although I understand Your Majesty's ire...

I would ask that Your Majesty decide this personal matter...

not with the heart...

but strictly from the point of view of national interest.

Bismarck, let's see how you'd react...

if your boys were grown and played such a trick on you.

Wouldn't you-

National interest!

I have my house in order.

That's where national interest begins.

Your Majesty, do restore order, but remember Frederick the Great.

Don't banish the Crown Prince to K�strin.

History has not sided with the father of Frederick the Great...

even though he too may have been right.

Sometimes I find you uncanny, Bismarck.

The letter basically attacks you alone.

It's not about me, Your Majesty, but about the inheritor of the crown.

Very well. Talk to him, then.

And what about Frankfurt, Your Majesty?

The king will go to Frankfurt. I'm convinced of it.

We've all tried to reason with him.

The Emperor asked me, as the King of Saxony, on his behalf...

to officially express his gratitude to you for advancing the cause of Germany.

The Emperor wants unity not by blood and iron, but purely by peaceful means.

You are the most important ally of Germany in Prussia.

Thank you.

Yes?

His Excellency the Prime Minister asks Your Royal Highness to receive him.

Bismarck?

Since when is he here?

It's high time for me to report to your father...

but I don't want to meet Bismarck now.

- Exit that way. - Good-bye.

- See His Majesty out. - Good-bye, Your Royal Highness.

Your Excellency, please come in.

I wasn't expecting you, Your Excellency.

- I thought you were still in Berlin. - I come directly from His Majesty.

My unpleasant task is to ask...

whether Your Highness knows about this published letter...

and wishes to comment on it in any way.

I know what the letter contains...

but how it ended up in a newspaper...

is a mystery to me.

Your Highness, please allow a loyal servant of your house a few open and sincere words.

Why are you in opposition within the family...

especially since that family is spread out over all of Europe?

Why not influence the government directly by an open dialogue with me?

In a few years, you'll be in charge of the government yourself.

You have other principles...

but why don't you attempt a transition...

instead of unnecessarily stoking the flames of conflict in our country?

I do not wish to be linked to your principles of government in any way!

I suppose that your strange attempt at rapprochement...

is meant to ensure your transition into my service.

I am a loyal servant of your father and of Prussia...

and I wish Your Royal Highness to find equally loyal servants in my stead...

as I have been to your father.

However, I do not wish to be one of them.

I did not mean to offend you personally, Herr von Bismarck...

but I believe that your politics damage the concept of the monarchy.

I doubt that in Germany there will ever be a shortage of people...

wishing for a strong and courageous king...

but perhaps one day the kings will become extinct.

We need a rabbit for rabbit stew and a monarch for a monarchy.

I share your concern for the monarchy, as you can see.

I think we both now know what to expect from one another, Your Excellency.

I'll apologize to my father...

and ask him to relieve me of all duties as Crown Prince...

and as general of the Prussian army during your tenure.

Then I may remain silent with a clear conscience.

Thank you, Your Royal Highness.

We've known each other for a long time and have always been good friends.

We have to stick together now.

The entire nation is distressed and tormented...

by the disunity of its fatherland.

If we princes don't decide to give Hapsburg the emperor's crown...

there will be conflict again between brothers as in 1848.

Please go to Frankfurt.

You stand alone.

Has His Majesty returned from his bath?

Yes, he first took his bath and then he rested, longer than usual.

It has been a strenuous day for him.

Only His Majesty the King of Saxony is with him.

- Who is with him? - His Majesty the King of Saxony.

Heavens! Since when has he been in Baden?

He arrived at noon by special train from Frankfurt.

I must enter immediately.

Your Excellency, His Majesty explicitly instructed us...

not to disturb him under any circumstances, for anyone.

His bath exhausted him.

Well, then I'll wait here.

What kind of spirit has taken hold of you...

since that dreadful man became your minister!

I stand before you as the messenger of 30 governing princes...

as the messenger of the entire German nation and on behalf of Prussia.

Prussia has always proudly led the way in war and battle...

and has always been the hero of the German nation.

Do you now wish to refuse your cooperation?

I'm asking you. I'm imploring you.

Consider the German suffering.

Join us.

Don't forsake Germany.

Yes, if that's how you see it, fine.

I will come.

Thank you!

I'll order a special train immediately for tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m.

Let's make a joint public statement tonight.

That should smooth ruffled feathers.

I'll ask my minister to draft it and present it to you for signature later.

Fine. Then Bismarck can take a look at it.

- A carriage for His Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.

His Excellency the Prime Minister is waiting outside.

Well, then! You can tell him right away.

Good-bye. I'll see you on the train to Frankfurt.

Your Majesty, is it true that you're travelling to Frankfurt?

Then, Your Majesty, Prussia is doomed.

What does Your Majesty think the Emperor's intentions in Frankfurt are?

German unity?

No.

The blood of German tribes for Hapsburg's policy.

German blood is too precious to me for that.

Do you wish to become Hapsburg's vassal?

But the Prussian people-

The Prussian people-

I know what the Prussian people will say.

They'll ask us why we dissolved parliament, censored the press...

and why we raised a huge army...

for Hapsburg!

Not for Prussia, but wilfully, to oppress the people, not for Prussia.

What will Roon say? Moltke? The military?

They'll say the king has betrayed our cause...

to be celebrated in Frankfurt...

to enjoy cheering young girls and fireworks...

and the false praise of the press.

But in that case, I ask Your Majesty to travel alone.

I won't be joining you.

Your Majesty will have to find a future minister...

who will receive his instructions from the Hapsburgs.

Remember Prussia, Your Majesty.

Remember your ancestors...

and your duty.

Your Majesty!

For heaven's sake, Your Majesty!

Shall I call the doctor? Your Majesty?

It's all right. It's all right.

Later. Later.

Cancel Frankfurt.

Thank you.

Call the doctor immediately!

His Excellency the Prime Minister of Saxony.

Please.

Herr von Bismarck! Have you been waiting for me?

It's a good thing you've changed your mind after all.

Here's the draft of the joint statement that we'll make public immediately.

The king is not going anywhere.

But he told my king that he would.

- The king will stay here. - When did you talk to him?

Just now.

I won't let you ruin my king with your tricks.

The man is sick, lying on the sofa now.

Then I will cancel the special train for tomorrow morning...

because my king will not go to Frankfurt without King Wilhelm.

Tomorrow he will try to persuade him to go after all.

You have my word that if the train has not left the station tomorrow morning at 6:00...

with the King of Saxony on board...

there will be a Prussian battalion from Rastatt here at 8:00 a.m.

Even before the king rises, the house will be occupied by troops...

whose sole purpose will be to keep all Saxons out!

You know full well that Prussia does not have the right...

to invade Baden in peacetime.

That would breach the confederation agreement and the peace.

I don't care about breaching the confederation agreement or the peace!

What matters to me is the well-being of my king and my country.

You will not ruin them. I'll see to that for as long as I'm Prime Minister.

If necessary, I'll guarantee that with my head!

Honourable brothers and cousins, dear allies...

I request that we consider whether this Federal Assembly may declare war...

by a two-thirds majority or a simple majority, as I propose.

- Does anyone oppose it? - No, outstanding. Don't you agree?

Absolutely. What do you think?

It's not so simple, but it should be considered.

We can't just-

I think it's dangerous.

Hapsburg would become too powerful.

We'll keep our right to vote.

- Why not two thirds? - Only two thirds.

I don't see a reason to change it.

It has held up for 50 years, after all.

It's unacceptable, don't you agree?

We would have to wage any war that Hapsburg wants to start.

Then we would be completely at the mercy of Austria.

Now the downside is emerging.

Prussia knew what it was doing when it stayed away.

- I will protest. - Stop. Wait a little.

- I have other plans. - No, this must finally be said.

I ask to speak.

Just a moment, please.

The king will speak now.

Gracious gentlemen, dear allies...

we all agree that the Emperor's proposal is fair and reasonable...

and takes into account the interest of all states.

Therefore, I'm asking-

No! We'll be outvoted.

A simple majority would give Austria absolute German power...

which it could then use, aided by an Austrian commander...

to secure its non-German lands.

Shall we wage war for Serbia?

The necessary majority would hardly be reached to that end, dear cousin.

Do you believe we would go along with something of that nature?

Why not?

Perhaps there are secret agreements.

Perhaps you'll receive a piece of land in exchange.

- It's been done before. - That's an insult!

No one can say that to me! Not even a king!

My gracious gentlemen.

We've assembled here to show our people unity, not discord.

Please take your seat.

We must arrive at some kind of agreement.

Otherwise, we set a bad example for our subjects.

Your Imperial Majesty, gracious gentlemen.

I suggest that the following questions be voted upon:

First, will the Assembly accept all proposals by Austria as discussed?

The outcome will certainly be affirmative.

Second, will the princes make their decisions contingent...

on the agreement of all German states, even those not attending today...

to retroactively give their consent?

Here too agreement seems assured.

- Otherwise, we wouldn't achieve unity. - Bravo!

So Prussia will now tip the scales.

It looks as if you'd discussed this with Bismarck ahead of time.

Your Majesty.

All of Germany looks to Prussia regarding the Danish issue.

If we draw the sword in this matter...

we'll set an example for the entire fatherland.

My dear Finance Minister, would it be possible to initiate this campaign...

without asking the Prussian parliament to approve new funding?

No, it wouldn't, Your Majesty.

If we could improve our borders and attain new land...

it would be the best investment of capital...

that we initially could borrow from the people's assets...

only to return it a hundredfold.

But Bismarck...

you sound as if you wanted to conquer Schleswig and Holstein for Prussia.

We have no right to do that.

Can Your Majesty accept the responsibility for Prussian blood that would be spilled...

so that Germany would win a new state...

that subsequently would vote against us in the Federal Assembly?

Bismarck, this is a pipe dream!

England is allied with Denmark...

and Austria would never tolerate the expansion of Prussian power.

Then we must go forward together with Austria...

and if it doesn't cede the conquered regions to us, we will use force.

I'm terminating this meeting.

Mr. Councillor, please strike what the Prime Minister said from the minutes.

He seems to be under the influence of a champagne breakfast...

we cannot negotiate in earnest.

Gentlemen.

Your Majesty, I request a private meeting with you.

Please.

And by all means keep it in the minutes.

Majesty, I don't want to discuss the annexation of Schleswig and Holstein.

Perhaps I dared to go too far.

I agree with Your Majesty's view...

that we would potentially provoke a conflict with Austria, God forbid!

But shall we let Hannover and Mecklenburg humiliate us?

But Mecklenburg and Hannover cannot intervene...

because England has a pact with Denmark.

Then we must intervene.

Then England will turn against us and perhaps even France.

Then we will ally ourselves with Austria.

With whom?

If we go to war against Denmark allied with Austria, and Russia remains neutral...

then we'll be so strong that England will abandon Denmark.

- But Austria is our adversary. - For the moment, it isn't.

Austria cannot dare to disappoint Germany, just as we cannot.

After the false start in Frankfurt, Austria's prestige has diminished.

- Surely Austria will go with us. - No, Bismarck.

Now I really can't follow along anymore.

I've always been against Austria, and now I'm supposed to be friendly?

That's what you said, for Russia's sake. So I did just that.

Then I was supposed to repudiate Austria, for Germany's sake. So I did.

And now I'm suddenly supposed to be Austria's ally?

Who knows what it will be next year!

No, Bismarck. I won't go along with this see-saw.

Your Majesty, this is politics.

In Baden-Baden you warned against becoming Austria's vassal.

Exactly.

Now you will be its equal partner and ally.

- And France? - I'll speak with Benedetti.

- But don't make any promises. - Never, Your Majesty.

Talk to Roon and to Moltke.

The exterior adventure now follows the interior one. How will this end?

For two years, all intelligent, smart-aleck people have been saying...

''How will this end? How will this end?

In two weeks, he'll lose his gamble. In four weeks, he'll lose his gamble.

In a year, he'll lose his gamble.''

Haven't you noticed that you've been wrong more and more often?

- Yes, and now we're facing war. - We don't know that yet.

Pardon me.

- His Excellency, General von Roon? - Yes?

His Excellency the Prime Minister...

requests that Your Excellency join him this afternoon at 3:00...

with His Excellency General Moltke in the joint chiefs of staff headquarters.

Really? Is he still with the king?

No. He has asked His Excellency the French ambassador for a meeting.

No, the Emperor does not wish to interfere with internal German matters.

But he would not be indifferent...

to the expansion of a major European power...

such as Prussia or Austria.

A territorial expansion is precluded by the rivalry between the two.

Austria would rather fight with us than let us have Schleswig and Holstein.

But Prussia can't accept the annexation of this German land by Denmark.

Before letting that happen, it might even relinquish the Rhineland.

- The Rhineland? - Yes, for example. We may agree yet.

Since the word was spoken, may I report it to the Emperor?

My statement was made in private, of course.

It is hardly of any practical value...

because we intend to intervene in Denmark with Austria's help.

Together with Austria? And the duchies will fall to whom?

First we will occupy them for the Confederation.

The question of who governs them will be decided later.

Decided? By whom?

The duchies must remain undivided for eternity, as you know.

Therefore, the decision will be a difficult one.

Be strong. I will report to the Emperor, and privately I believe...

that he will support you.

Your Excellency.

Your visit has greatly calmed my fears, Your Excellency.

- A carriage for His Excellency. - It is ready, Your Excellency.

His Excellency the Austrian ambassador has just arrived.

Please show His Excellency in.

Your Excellency, please.

And assure your sovereign of our gratitude if he decides in our favour.

You're here, Mr. Ambassador? Forgive me for making you wait.

- Your Excellency. - Your Excellency.

Excuse me, Count.

- Please, Count, take a seat. - Thank you.

- A cigar? - Thank you.

You asked me to come. Is it urgent?

Very urgent. Perhaps of vital importance.

Count Karolyi, you know me as a man who speaks frankly.

It has been held against me, but it also has its advantages.

My adversaries know what to expect, and I know it too.

Since when are we adversaries, Your Excellency?

That's not what I wanted to suggest.

Still, we did have a few differences of opinion before Frankfurt.

But tell me honestly...

who was right?

You were, Your Excellency. The princes betrayed us.

That's how it's always going to be. They fear the strongest power.

Had Prussia gone to Frankfurt...

it would have irreparably fallen out with Austria.

If your refusal was meant to prevent it, you acted as our friend.

Well, finally this is being understood in Vienna.

- Why don't we go it together? - Is this an offer, Your Excellency?

Yes, Count. In the name of my royal sovereign.

An alliance between equals.

Let us liberate Schleswig and Holstein together...

not for the Confederation, but as free powers.

Your Excellency, Austria's interest in the northern duchies is minimal.

Well, if the Emperor is not interested, then we'll undertake it alone.

Russia, not your friend, will keep still...

and I know where to go for help if another neighbour threatened me.

Help even against Austria.

Austria too has old scores to settle with Fr-

Here, I've said it.

But with your own eyes you saw Benedetti leave.

Wouldn't it be better if we got along, Count?

Outstanding, Moltke. Brilliant thinking.

Cannae on the Baltic Sea.

Now we just need to know if we'll go it alone.

War against Denmark.

- The king has consented. - At last! What about Austria?

I've put pressure on the Hapsburgs. In two weeks, they'll attack.

Bravo! Kiel will become a naval port, Rendsburg a stronghold.

Not so loud. The Austrians will turn around before it happens.

- That would be a bit too soon. - They can't stay there anyway.

Maybe there will be a war because of that.

Maybe.

While your Danish plan is being executed, Moltke...

you should draw up a new one.

That's what I'm doing.

Look at our Berliners.

When they hear a march, they can't sit still...

despite all the challenges in the Diet.

They'll fully awaken once our victorious troops march in the city.

Don't you want to hear Moltke's plan, Bismarck?

- You could learn something. - I'm convinced of that.

Could you explain it briefly, Moltke?

I've already studied the gathering of Prussian troops...

near Hamburg and L�beck as a practice exercise for rail transport.

The actual objective of our campaign remains the Danish army in Jutland...

because our navy cannot land in Copenhagen directly.

Denmark is protected by the Dannewerk...

located between two rivers before Schleswig...

which is considered impregnable.

We would have to bypass it from the east and cut off the troops behind it.

Should the Danish army escape the encirclement...

the eastern army of Prussia would invade Angles...

while the main army would be held back near Schleswig...

only to be pushed away from the Baltic ports and destroyed on the west coast.

If the Danish army successfully retreats into the fortress of Dybb�l...

the entrenchments are to be dynamited and captured.

If they succeed in crossing over to Als, the island must be occupied...

and the enemy army destroyed there.

Attention!

Eyes right!

I feel I must thank you all in my own royal name...

but especially on behalf of our fatherland.

You have returned world standing to the Prussian state.

You have bolstered the fame of its army...

by your heroism and that of the entire nation.

Now let's all thank God.

You, my dear General von Moltke, designed the strategy for this campaign.

I thank you.

I am particularly pleased that you, Friedrich Karl, scion of our house...

have demonstrated such prudence and courage.

You have proven yourself worthy of our ancestry.

- I wouldn't want to be in his shoes. - He had a choice.

Well, my dear Count von Wrangel, are you happy about outdoing yourself again?

If I may say so, Your Majesty, we should have continued on.

We should have?

But we weren't allowed to. Ask that man over there.

Field Marshal Wrangel wishes to hang the diplomats...

who interfere with his war plans.

My dear General von Roon, although you didn't fight...

you built up our army.

You have supplied it with its superior weapon, the Dreyse needle rifle.

I thank you.

Can't you forget it, my son?

How can I forget something I've lived through?

But perhaps you can forgive?

With pleasure, Papa Wrangel, from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you.

As your king, it is a great joy and comfort...

to tell you and the nation that you have all done your duty.

A state exists for as long as this strong word lives within us.

And it falls apart...

when the individual begins to look for a different kind of support...

one that may be more comfortable...

perhaps seemingly more promising for his personal freedom.

God has given us victory.

Tomorrow let us return to the everyday life of our duties.

Duty means negotiating with Austria about the conquered territories.

In Gastein.

The tricky matter of Schleswig-Holstein is keeping me busy day and night.

I don't see why we shouldn't come to an agreement.

Exactly! The Baltic Sea is far.

What would we do in Kiel or in the Fort Rendsburg?

Rather, we could use Fort Glatz.

I don't think that old Prussian territory can be subject to an exchange.

How do we divide Schleswig-Holstein? Who gets Lauenburg?

It would be best if Schleswig-Holstein had its own prince.

One more for the Bundestag?

Do you want to divide Schleswig-Holstein? Who gets Lauenburg then?

Based on this, we will come to an agreement.

Gentlemen, I will retire. Come with me, Count.

The only option is to split it into two parts.

That's not a permanent solution.

We will always face unrest in the north.

But I don't want a new war.

Dividing the territory is no permanent solution.

Majesty, eventually a war with Prussia will be needed to assert our supremacy.

Now we have to buy time, so that we can prepare.

Eventually, a decision will have to be made...

the sooner the better for us.

But I want to avoid it for as long as possible.

Let's divide the territory for now. The world sees us as united and equal.

If Prussia attacks us, Italy must remain neutral.

- Napoleon will see to that. - But not for nothing.

If we get Silesia, I will give him Venice.

Politics is a business.

Only you could persuade me to play cards, Count Blume.

I'm surprised, Your Excellency. Diplomats like to play.

The last time I played was in 1862 with the Empress of France.

She seems to be a passionate player.

Metternich writes that he's already lost thousands to her.

Two kindred souls seem to have found each other.

Indeed, they spend entire nights playing together, he writes.

So Blume once again managed to find a partner.

Blume claims he gets to know people by playing cards with them.

Whether he will succeed this time...

You're honestly taking my last hundred out of my pocket.

You have bad luck, my friend, but you also reckless.

I've been told that before.

How do you feel about Lauenburg? Are you very attached to it?

It borders Prussia. That's why we'd like to have it.

From what I hear, it's supposedly very neglected.

That's right. You come from Holstein.

You'd have to spend money on it to make it prosperous again.

We're already spending enough on Venetia.

If you need money, don't you want to sell Lauenburg to us?

That would be a good idea. A good idea.

Well, my dear Herr von Bismarck...

- I'll gladly offer you a rematch. - No, thank you.

- But about Lauenburg, that would be- - We'll see what we can do, maybe.

Agreement for 2.5 million silverlings.

...hereby cedes its rights to the Duchy of Lauenburg...

that it won in the Treaty of Vienna to His Majesty the King of Prussia.

I'm very pleased about today's events.

May our friendship last for a long time.

For me the joy is twofold.

For the first time as king, I have expanded the territory of my country.

Yes? And how do you feel?

I don't mean to be proud, but it gives me pleasure.

Your Majesty.

You, my dear Bismarck, should take part in my joy.

To commemorate this day, I will ennoble you. You are now a count.

Let me be the first to congratulate you, Count Bismarck.

Lord, now you have to add ''Count'' to your name.

Girl, are you crazy?

You're taking me to France, to Biarritz no less.

That has always been my dream.

You only had me in mind, right?

Of course!

Only for the new Countess Marie von Bismarck-Sch�nhausen...

will your mother and I travel to the Atlantic Ocean.

Oh, Papa. I know you're only doing it for Mommy because she's not well.

See? Now go on, my darling.

Go, go.

Passports and tickets are ready. Here, a dispatch.

The Emperor Napoleon has invited you to stay with him in Biarritz.

Then he's feeling guilty. Damn.

Why? Do we need France?

Need France? If France and Austria cooperate, we're lost.

We need it like the air we breathe.

Prussia has disappointed me.

We should talk openly, Prince Metternich.

But the Austrian ambassador has made us a tremendous proposition.

Speak German, my angel. Here, every servant is an amateur politician.

Sire, become Austria's ally.

The youngest empire of Europe allied with the oldest empire. What a concept!

It would cause a sensation throughout Europe!

You will take the Rhineland from Prussia, Austria will take Schleswig-

- Silesia. - Good, Silesia. It's all the same.

And Austria gives us Venice.

Then I would need to fight with Prussia for the Rhineland.

I'm no general.

What can tiny Prussia do about the both of us, Sire?

Of course, then you'll simply take the Rhineland.

Perhaps, but first I must hear what Bismarck has to offer.

You understand that, Metternich?

We will see each other tonight.

Prussia has disappointed me, Count Bismarck.

Why do you ally yourself with Austria instead of starting the war?

- Sire, those are diversions. - I know that.

Emperor Franz Josef is already making me tempting offers.

Why shouldn't I accept them?

I personally sought out all of these ballerinas.

And you yourself could be the first among them.

Thank you, my friend.

I can't wait for your decision, Count Bismarck.

All of France trembles at the thought of a united Germany.

Sire, my king does not want to shed the blood of brothers.

So you yourself are advising me to enter into a pact with Austria.

I advise you, Your Majesty, to remain neutral.

But the Emperor is trying to come to an agreement with me at any cost.

Prussia is trying to do the same.

Good.

What are you offering me?

If Your Majesty chooses to go with Kaiser Franz Josef...

to gain something that is not yours, then you will have to fight us for it.

My king is courageous, so are his soldiers.

A war is always risky.

Please!

France, the wealthiest country in Europe...

allied with Austria...

the greatest military power in Europe.

Father, father!

That our father is missing this! What a shame.

Your Majesty was once so kind as to call yourself a businessman on the throne.

A victory over us may cost France more than it is willing to pay.

That may be true.

However, Prussia would certainly disappear from the map.

If that's your intention, why don't you go it with Austria?

That is by no means my objective, Count Bismarck...

or I wouldn't be sitting here with you.

My objective is maintaining a German balance of power...

between Austria and Prussia.

If Prussia is to benefit from this...

it would only be fair if France...

enjoyed a small benefit also.

And what benefit would that be, Sire?

A small correction of our borders on the Rhine.

Sire, I am very grateful to you for disclosing this matter to me...

first, because it is proof of your trust...

and secondly, because I am the only German diplomat who can dare...

to keep silent toward his sovereign about the request you have just made.

Let's stop the evasiveness, Count Bismarck.

You direct Prussia's policy.

Everybody in Europe knows it. So?

Sire, as long as all our borders are being threatened...

we can't dare to give away anything.

But if war breaks out and France really remains neutral...

I will think about how we can present your wishes to the king for a decision.

Then make sure you think about it in due time, Count Bismarck.

If your king is wise...

perhaps everything will fall into place the way you hope.

The Empress is alone. Please come.

The countesses are absolutely charming.

Simply the sweetest girls I've ever seen.

You could swear she's Parisian.

My compliments, Count. The countess is adorable.

And little Marie is so beautiful.

You're too kind, Majesty.

Otto, won't you dance with me?

Of course, dance, dance!

As ambassador he danced for nights on end.

What's going on, Otto?

Are you feeling sick?

- Can people tell? - I can tell, not the others.

Politics.

I'll go to my room.

- I can't stand this place. - I'll go with you.

You speak German very well, Your Majesty.

As well as you speak French, Countess.

With whom do you speak at home?

- With Benedetti? - Yes, often.

He wants to speak German with me and says:

''My dear miss, are you a bride yet?''

And the Austrian ambassador?

Does he come often too?

No, not as much.

He wants to speak like a Prussian and says:

''You're pretty, Countess. Dance a gallop with me.''

You won't understand this. It's argot.

And what does your father say?

How I hate politics!

What have you discussed with the Emperor?

I asked him to stay neutral if Austria attacks.

That's good, isn't it?

I can't tell you.

I can't tell anyone...

not even the king.

- Not a square meter! Not a foot! - Otto!

- No German soil for the bastard! - Otto!

I curse him. I detest him. May he go to hell!

May the devil take him. The devil. The devil.

Forgive him, dear God.

Forgive him.

Otto!

My dear, how right you were.

We had a nice life on our estate, free from worries.

How happy we were there! And now-

Get Marie and go to sleep.

I must come to terms with myself, alone.

You go.

I'll let the events draw near and decide then.

Your Majesty will decide in favour of Austria.

I have no doubt.

We'll swallow up Prussia.

Make haste. All of Europe is waiting for a decision.

My friend.

- Good-bye, Prince. - Sire.

- Prince. - Madam.

I've fooled them all.

It will be a long, tough war between the two.

When they are all spent, I will step in...

and take from Prussia and Germany what I want.

Madame.

For four years, we have seen a policy...

with everything that constitutes a betrayal of the German cause.

The annexation of Schleswig...

the purchase of Lauenburg for 2.5 million silverlings...

are breaches of law that we don't accept!

The Prime Minister is allied with Russia...

while the noble Polish nation is being oppressed.

He is a friend and docile student of Napoleon...

so that through him he can oppress all of Germany.

I ask the Prime Minister:

What did he promise Emperor Napoleon for his friendship?

The border on the Rhine perhaps?

Gentlemen.

I repeat.

In four years, for the fourth time:

Not a penny to this ministry.

The Prime Minister may speak.

Gentlemen, I will pay 1,000 taler in cash to the individual...

who can prove that I received such offers from Emperor Napoleon.

The government forgoes an attempt to change the views...

of the so-called representatives of the people.

I propose a vote of confidence and ask for an immediate vote.

I ask those representatives who support the government...

to please rise.

Thank you. The Prime Minister may speak.

Gentlemen, the government has no time to waste.

Because I can see that in a matter of national importance...

this body- regarded in Europe...

as a concentration of intelligence and patriotism in Prussia-

is unable to assume any other position than that of impotent criticism...

I am therefore dissolving the Diet.

I don't know of any other place where the universal national spirit...

and the love of the fatherland...

offer so little resistance to the excesses of partisan passion as they do here.

In two months, we will hold elections...

and things will probably look different.

Will we win, Benedek?

The Prussian army is stronger than people think, Your Majesty.

But France will remain neutral and the German states are on our side.

Will we win, Moltke?

You know the political premises.

We will overrun them and turn them upside down.

Otherwise Prussia will disappear from the map.

What are you planning this time?

We will already destroy the Austrians while they are in Bohemia.

We will march there separately and reunite as one force on the battlefield.

This can't possibly work.

Austria and its huge army and all of Germany...

and the turmoil in the land.

If you lose even one battle, there will be a revolution.

I won't start it, but if they attack us-

But who has already started? Your Bismarck has.

Everybody hates you now.

They may yet take the crown from you.

Send him away. There's still time. All will be well. We will have peace.

And all of Europe will laugh at us.

But that would be still better than misery and woe...

and being cursed by the whole world.

I beg you. I implore you.

Dear child, don't cry. You know it's hard for me to see that.

I cannot back out of a deal like a trader.

I am a king and you are a queen.

Please announce me to His Majesty. It's very urgent.

Please pull yourself together. The adjutant is coming.

His Excellency the Prime Minister has come on an urgent matter.

Please.

I am going upstairs. Think about what I said.

I will signal, so that you won't back down.

I'm here to ask Your Majesty to sign the new federal constitution bill.

Austria has orchestrated unrest against Prussia in Holstein.

Therefore, we demand the expulsion of Austria from the Confederation...

and wish to convene a Reichstag, elected by all Germans in secret balloting.

This Reichstag would then devise the new constitution.

This means war.

If the Confederation refuses, yes, Your Majesty.

The Confederation will say no. It will not take your proposition seriously.

That has been the mistake of my adversaries for the last 18 years.

They do not take me seriously.

But when the war breaks out, they will.

I have one last hope for peace.

Your bill is more liberal and revolutionary...

than all the manifestos of the liberal revolutionaries taken together.

If they are reasonable, they'll accept it.

The hopes for reason are faint, Your Majesty.

- Probably the repairmen upstairs. - I know, Your Majesty.

- Will we win, Bismarck? - Yes, Your Majesty.

With God's help...

and with the Dreyse needle rifle.

We've reached our goal. Come with me.

In two days, our bill will be presented to the Confederation.

- In three days, war will be declared. - It's all or nothing now.

So? Will there be war?

Probably. It's in God's hands.

In God's hands?

In Bismarck's hands.

Bismarck is the devil.

It's all because of this man.

We've finally reached our goal, Roon, after waiting for 18 years...

after preaching to deaf ears, and after rebuilding the army with you.

Now, finally, we can push through a reasonable order in Germany by force.

- It makes you want to be young again. - I'll go see Moltke.

- Take care! Happy hunting. - Happy hunting to you.

Police! Police!

- You swine! - What a hoodlum!

What a scoundrel!

Let go of the pistol! Are you injured, Your Excellency?

We'll have to eat without father again.

Go and call Herbert, will you?

- Time for lunch, Wilhelm. - Now?

The Great Crow's Eye has caught the trapper and wants to scalp him.

- He can do it after lunch. - Oh.

Come on.

- What happened? Are you all right? - I think I'm a dead man.

I felt the bullet on my rib.

A stag also runs another 100 yards with a shot in the shoulder before dropping dead.

- Someone shot at you? - Unbelievable.

Only a red stain as if from a blow.

It must have bounced off the rib or something like that.

Or an air cushion formed in the pistol...

because he pushed it so hard into my stomach.

Heavenly God!

How will I tell my wife?

I envisioned all my efforts lost...

the Austrians in Berlin, the French at the Rhine, and the king at the gallows.

It was horrifying.

- Father! - There he is.

Well? Haven't you started yet?

- Hello, Father. - Hello, my Son.

Hello, Father.

Well.

Well, I'm downright perplexed.

I don't know how to tell you.

Don't be alarmed, but somebody just shot at me.

That's amazing!

What? I'm sitting in my chair and enjoying my meal.

A real shooting?

A real shooting. Two bullets must still be stuck in my coat.

- Where are you going? - To look at the coat!

Otto, who was it?

Kohn-Blind, an English Jew. But I grabbed the guy.

Lieutenant von B�low has taken him into custody.

His Majesty the king, Your Excellency.

Please order coffee.

And, once again, you see divine intervention...

or bad weeds grow tall.

They were stuck in the lining.

Man, that's how small they are?

If I needed any more proof that God is with you, then I'd have it now.

I am delegating all powers to you, my dear Count.

Declare war against Austria at the moment you consider auspicious.

What do you think, Bismarck...

can I trust my son with the command over an army?

Why not, Your Majesty?

The Crown Prince has always been a capable troop leader.

Do you think I can trust him with the Silesian army?

It must travel the farthest.

Its timely arrival on the battlefield may decide the victory.

Your Majesty, if an ordinary general comes too late...

he loses only his command.

But the Crown Prince would lose his crown and his country.

He will arrive on time.

The Crown Prince's army should have arrived at 11:00.

It's now past 1:00.

The roads are muddy, Your Majesty.

You must be patient.

It rained all night.

The orders to attack were given prematurely.

As adjutant of His Royal Highness Prince Friedrich Karl...

I have a message for the king personally.

Please proceed.

It's a dispatch rider.

From what it looks like, we're in a mess.

Adjutant of His Highness Prince Friedrich Karl.

The seventh division is bleeding, Your Majesty.

His Royal Highness urgently requests permission to storm.

It is the only way to improve the situation.

Moltke!

- Did you hear that? - Yes, Your Majesty.

And your orders?

Storming positions does not match the intentions of the high command.

Until the arrival of the Second Army, the front is merely to be held.

He has lost, I say. They should order a withdrawal.

K�niggr�tz, the grave of the Prussians!

He picked the best one, Your Majesty.

He seems to be very sure of himself.

Hell! Benedek's artillery.

I can distinguish them exactly, thanks to my experience.

What orders have you planned for a withdrawal, General von Moltke?

There will be no withdrawal.

Prussia is on the line here.

Nice idea, to encircle the Austrian army! Nice on paper.

A few hours of action on the ground, and the whole war is lost.

I'd like to be the first to congratulate Your Majesty.

Your Majesty has won a battle, perhaps even a war.

The army of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is now stepping in.

This will decide the battle shortly.

The incomparable heroism of the infantrymen, gentlemen...

has secured this overwhelming victory for us.

You have my eternal gratitude.

Now on to new deeds.

We will stick to the enemy's heels.

Austria has offered us a cease-fire.

- I don't blame them. - What does the high command think?

We will cut off the imperial army's path of withdrawal into Hungary...

destroy it before the gates of Vienna, and occupy Vienna.

Very good.

The Austrian cease-fire offer must be rejected.

I agree, gentlemen.

Moltke, what are your dispositions for the next day?

Your Majesty, I ask to accept the cease-fire offer...

and to view it as a prelude to immediate peace negotiations.

Ensuring the pacification of all of Germany is on the line.

I won't even consider it!

I would cheat my soldiers out of a victory.

But the question of our supremacy in Germany has been settled...

and accepted in Europe.

If Prussia humiliates Austria, France will intervene.

And Austria and all of Germany have only one goal, to take revenge on Prussia.

Then we'll quash them.

I don't want to lose again through diplomacy what the sword has won.

In the past you spoke differently, Count Bismarck.

Blood and iron.

Your Majesty, I request that we accept Austria's proposal.

You've heard the Prime Minister.

If you agree, please raise your hand.

I join the military majority.

- Your Majesty, I- - You wish to leave, Count Bismarck?

Please. We now only have military subjects to discuss.

Please come back tomorrow morning to the briefing.

In wartime, one should leave the diplomats at home.

Yet it's his war. He conceived it.

But now it's our war. Your orders, Moltke.

We've lost, Bucher.

They don't want to stop winning.

- And then Napoleon will intervene. - Do you really believe that?

He personally warned me.

That would be dreadful.

Yes.

And if he does it before Germany is united...

then everything will be lost.

You may feel too pessimistic about this now, Your Excellency.

You have barely slept in three days.

You will find a solution tomorrow.

Go lie down. I implore you.

Sleep?

Yes, I could.

Ah, to sleep...

and to forget.

Good night, Bucher.

Yes.

Very-

The Rhineland, very-

Stop! Who goes there? Hands up!

Who is it? Who are you?

Benedetti, Your Excellency, forgive me.

But the guards wouldn't let me in. I had no other way to reach you.

You have courage, I must say. Put the light down, Karl. Leave us alone.

What can I do for you?

The French Emperor sends you his most sincere greetings, Count.

He would remind you of a conversation in Biarritz and the left bank of the Rhine.

You won't get a single square meter, not a foot of German soil to France.

But you promised the Emperor.

The Emperor forced Italy to make peace...

so that Austria could employ new troops against us.

He had no choice. All of France is calling for revenge for Sadowa.

Why is Sadowa France's business? What are inner-German events to France?

We will not tolerate any interference.

Then France will march into the Rhineland with its entire army.

Then I will make peace with Austria regardless of the terms...

and throw myself at France with my entire battle-tested army.

And believe me, in this war, Germany will side with me!

Tell your Emperor, if he wants war, he shall have it...

not on the Rhine, but in France itself, and we will take away his throne.

But you promised the Rhineland to the Emperor, Count Bismarck.

I promised him I would consider it.

And I thought about it often enough.

You've outsmarted us, Count Bismarck.

I've only prevented you from making a mistake...

the mistake of assuming that Germany would ever let France steal German soil.

- Those days are over. - That remains to be seen, Count.

We are ready.

Your Excellency.

Your Excellency.

I demand Bohemia, Hannover, Saxony, a section of Bavaria...

and will dictate the peace in Vienna.

Let them pay for what they've done to Prussia for decades.

They deserve to be punished.

Our job is not to judge, Your Majesty, but to practice German policy.

Only a just peace will be a lasting one.

Austria's struggle for supremacy over us is not more punishable...

than our own efforts against Austria.

Our objective is the creation of a united Germany...

under the leadership of the king of Prussia.

I'm not interested in German unity.

Why should I care about the German states...

that have plagued and betrayed me all my life?

- But the people have not, Your Majesty. - In the park in Babelsberg...

you swore to be my servant, a servant of the king.

If Your Majesty doubts my loyalty...

I request permission to fight as a major in my regiment...

and to leave subsequent negotiations to my successor.

You're letting me down as I face the enemy?

- Not as an officer, Your Majesty. - Herr Bismarck, I will not-

Let me be!

You are suspended until military operations are concluded.

- Count Bismarck. - Your Royal Highness.

I have greatly wronged you.

I think that today I am beginning to understand you.

You know that I have opposed the war.

You believed it to be necessary and bear the responsibility for it.

If you now believe that our goal has been reached and peace must be made...

I'm willing to support you and advocate your views to my father.

Your Royal Highness.

My father is feeling the rush of victory.

It will be tough to rouse him.

But I will give it a try.

- What are you doing? - The colours will be presented, Major.

Count Bismarck.

His Majesty is requesting your presence.

You have managed to come to an understanding with my son...

and to persuade him.

You have fulfilled one of my long-standing wishes.

I'm not sure I entirely understand you yet, Bismarck...

but you have always prompted me to do the right thing...

and I trust that you will do so again this time.

Do you hear the bells?

They were meant to be victory bells.

Now they will become the bells of peace.

Make peace, Bismarck.

This decision, Your Majesty, will bring you more than peace.

It lays the foundation for German nationhood.

Nevermore will Germans draw the sword against one another.

The day will come when our tribes will rise united...

to defend the German Empire against its enemies.

His Majesty the Emperor Wilhelm. Long live the Emperor!

Long live the Emperor!

THE END