"1914". Die letzten Tage vor dem Weltbrand

original title:
"1914". Die letzten Tage vor dem Weltbrand
other titles:
Die Herren der Gewalt, 1914: The Days Before the War
country / year of production:
Germany / 1930
original length:
80 min. , black/white
premiere:
20 January 1931, Tauenzien-Palast, Berlin
genre:
melodrama
based on:
Emil Ludwig. Juli 1913. Hamburg: Rowohlt, 1929.

Eugen Fischer. Die kritischen 39 Tage. Von Sarajewo bis zum Weltenbrand. Berlin: Ullstein, 1928.
director:
Richard Oswald
film script:
Heinz Goldberg , Fritz Wendhausen
producer:
Richard Oswald
cinematographer:
Mutz Greenbaum
editor:
Paul Falkenberg
composer:
cast (role):
Albert Bassermann (Deutscher Reichskanzler von Bethmann Hollweg) , Heinrich George (Französischer Sozialist Jean Jaurès) , Reinhold Schünzel (Zar Nikolaus II von Russland) , Oskar Homolka (Russischer Außenminister Sasonow) , Theodor Loos (Französischer Botschafter in Russland Palélogue) , Albert Bassermann , Heinrich George , Reinhold Schünzel , Oskar Homolka , Theodor Loos , Paul Bildt , Eugen Klöpfer , Alexander Granach
more:
plot synopsis:
After the attempt on the life of the heir to the throne of Austria, archduke Franz-Ferdinand and his wife, the Austrian Kronrat sits in Bad Ischl. Whereas foreign Minister Graf Berchthold and the chief of the general staff von Hötzendorf claim war against Serbia, the Hungarian Minister president Graf Tsiza and Kaiser Franz Joseph I. want to prevent the war. The german Reichskanzler von Bethmann-Hollweg informs that Germany will fulfil its duty as an ally. Earl Berchthold sends a letter to Serbia that doesn’t correspond with the arrangement with the German Reichskanzler. King Peter I. of Serbia is dismayed after receiving the letter, but wants to agree to the Austrian demands, in order to prevent a war. In doing this he is confronted with the resistance of his Minister president and that of prince Alexander, who asks czar Nikolaus of Russia for assistance. But there they also have different opinions…
keywords:
assassination , based on a true story
war:
First World War (1914-1918)
literature:
W. Mühl-Benninghaus. 1914. Die letzten Tage vor dem Weltenbrand. In: H. Belach/ W. Jacobsen (eds.). Richard Oswald. Regisseur und Produzent. München: Ed. Text und Kritik, 1990, 107-112.

Bernadette Kester. Filmfront Weimar. Representaties van de Eerste Wereldoorlog in Duitse films uit de Weimarperiode (1919-1933). Hilversum: Verloren. 1998. 53-66.
remarks:
In December 1930 Oswald presented the film to the censor, the Filmprüfstelle. Representatives of the German Foreign Office voiced their objection, so that the film in the version presented was banned. Their point was that the presentation of the question of war guilt was incomplete and that "the tendency of the film might effect Germany's relations to other states in a harmful way". After this decision Oswald had to cut out certain scenes, insert new ones and new dialogues. He also had to place a prologue at the beginning of the film.
He managed to win Dr. Eugen Fischer as author and narrator for the prologue, the former Reichs-librarian and general secretary of the committee on war guilt. In his introduction on the break-out of the war, Fischer followed the official view of the Foreign Office.
availability:
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