Fall of Eagles


Fall of Eagles is a 13-part British television drama aired by the BBC in 1974. The series was created by John Elliot and produced by Stuart Burge. The series portrays historical events from 1848 to 1918, dealing with the ruling dynasties of Austria-Hungary, Germany and Russia. The scriptwriters were Keith Dewhurst, John Elliot, Trevor Griffiths, Elizabeth Holford, Ken Hughes, Troy Kennedy Martin, Robert Muller, Jack Pulman, David Turner and Hugh Whitemore.

Overview

The series tells the story of the final decades of three great empires brought to downfall by historical events. Each empire used an eagle in their heraldry. The central theme is the effects of centuries of despotism with a lack of social reform and the devastating effects of World War I that caused revolutionary movements to form. It begins in the aftermath of the Revolutions of 1848 and continues through the Armistice of 11 November 1918, covering about 70 years of history in 13 episodes. The episodes are divided among the three empires, namely: Austria-Hungary ; Germany ; and Russia.

Episodes

Cast

Cast, in order of first appearance, and sorted by episode and empire. The narrator of the series was Michael Hordern.

Austria

Episode 1
Episode 4
Episode 10
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 13
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8
Episode 9
Episode 11
Episode 12
The music accompanying the main title and credits is the Trauermarsch, the first movement of Mahler's Symphony No. 5. The closing theme music is the central section from the first movement of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 6.

Reception

One positive review of the series states, "This ambitious series captivates the audience by depicting the years of revolution, in which the well cemented monarchies of central and eastern Europe slowly disintegrate. However, the show does not attach any sentiments with royalty or the happenings in wake of its collapse."

Media

Fall of Eagles was released on video and DVD in autumn 2004 in the United Kingdom, with the release including a photo gallery and a comprehensive 40-page historical notes booklet written by Andy Priestner providing further details on the historical events and characters in the series. It includes new interviews with Gayle Hunnicutt, Charles Kay and director David Cunliffe. It was later released in May 2006 in the United States, without the companion booklet.
A separate book based on the series titled The Fall of Eagles: The Death of the Great European Dynasties by Cyrus Leo Sulzberger II was first published by Crown in 1981.