At the end of another decade this documentary looks back not on the 60s or the 50s, but on a year that really meant the end of one era, the start of another- 1913. The last year when people could ignore the undercurrent of change that was sweeping across Europe. The year of shocks; of pomp and rebellion. The year of opposites; of chaperones and jazz. The year of amazement; surrealism, speed, zeppelins. London, half a century ago, was the ' premier capital of Europe,' yet the gulf between the top and bottom people was immense. In Berlin Kaiser Wilhelm thought of peace and bigger, more glorious Germany. In Russia the Tsar and his family, four years away from revolution and murder, were celebrating the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. In Vienna 83-year-old Franz Josef sat on a tottering throne. Only one of the families who ruled the four great empires from London, Berlin, St Petersburg and Vienna was to survive. Yet everywhere people looked forward to peace and excitement.... adapted from 1913: The Defiant Swansong by VIRGINIA COWLES Narration DEREK HART Produced by HARRY HASTINGS
