Royal Cousins at War

DocumentaryWar & Politics

At the time World War I broke out, the King of England, the Czar of Russia, and the Kaiser of Germany were first cousins. This two-part series looks at the role played by Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and King George V of England, and their relationships with each other, in the outbreak of war. Mismanaging their countries and mishandling foreign policy, they failed to adapt to the forces of nationalism and democracy, and so brought tumbling down their own ideal of a Europe governed by the descendants of Queen Victoria. While it was war that delivered the final blow, this fascinating series shows how the problems had set in much earlier. A two part miniseries.

Episodes & Seasons

Browse episodes by season for this series.

Season 1

2 Episodes

EP 01

EP 1

01.A House Divided

2h 2m★ 6

2014-02-05

01.A House Divided

2h 2m★ 6

Aired 2014-02-05

The first episode tells the story of the emerging divisions and rivalries between the interrelated royal houses of Europe and features the little known story of the two Danish sisters, Princess Alexandra and Princess Dagmar, who had pulled off the dynastic coup of the 19th century by marrying the heirs to both the British and Russian thrones.

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EP 02

EP 2

02.Into the Abyss

2h 2m★ 7

2014-02-06

02.Into the Abyss

2h 2m★ 7

Aired 2014-02-06

This looks at the realignment of the European powers and the emergence of the alliance system in the years following the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. It examines the key role played by royalty in smoothing the path to the Anglo-Russian entente of 1907, and at the part played by the Kaiser's erratic, unstable personality in the growing isolation of Germany in the years leading up to 1914.

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