Schulmeister, l'espion de l'Empereur
"The Empire has its soldiers. It also has its spy."
Release
23 Dec 1971Country
Language
FrenchProduction
Overview
Schulmeister, l’espion de l’empereur (Schulmeister, the Emperor's Spy) is a French historical adventure television series consisting of 13 episodes (1971–1974), inspired by the real life of Charles Louis Schulmeister, a famous spy in the service of Napoleon I. It alternates between historical facts and fiction, offering a fictionalized portrait of a cunning spy, loyal to Napoleon, and always ready to turn a situation to his advantage.
Season 1
Schulmeister, l’espion de l’empereur (Schulmeister, the Emperor’s Spy, 1971–1974) follows the adventures of Charles Louis Schulmeister, a cunning Alsatian merchant recruited by Fouché to serve Napoleon I. A master of disguise and intrigue, he foils royalist and British plots across Europe: Holland, England, Switzerland, Austria... Season 1 features a series of standalone missions in which he manipulates enemies and allies to protect the Empire. In season 2, at the height and then decline of Napoleon's reign, he tackles more political affairs: the Austrian surrender at Ulm, intrigues in Vienna, international espionage, and even the Hundred Days. Surrounded by loyal followers such as Hammel and Suzel, he faces formidable adversaries, always turning situations to his advantage. Part historical epic, part suspense thriller, part comedy, the series combines meticulous reconstruction, lively dialogue, and a fast pace.
Episode 1
Savary, aide-de-camp to the First Consul, prepares for his boss's visit to Strasbourg. The police arrest Joliet, a courier for the émigrés, who confesses the purpose of his mission: to make contact in the city with a certain “schoolmaster.” The problem is that there are 150 Schulmeisters (schoolmasters) in Strasbourg. One of them is a suspect because he is a former smuggler. The courier Joliet recognizes him in order to save the real one, but he proclaims himself a Bonapartist and offers to find the real culprits himself. Savary agrees and organizes a fake escape. With Hammel, one of his friends, Schulmeister infiltrates the heart of the conspiracy and recognizes the man giving the orders: his own cousin, Neubacher, the real “schoolmaster.”
Episodes of Season 1
13 episodes
