

After Moscow
Episode 9 | 51m 37sVideo has Closed Captions
Reilly returns to London, where he is met with acclaim – and an official inquiry.
1918: Having fled Russia following the failed assassination attempt on Lenin, Reilly returns to London, where he is met with acclaim but also faces an official inquiry. Meanwhile, in Russia, he is tried for treason in absentia.
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After Moscow
Episode 9 | 51m 37sVideo has Closed Captions
1918: Having fled Russia following the failed assassination attempt on Lenin, Reilly returns to London, where he is met with acclaim but also faces an official inquiry. Meanwhile, in Russia, he is tried for treason in absentia.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(dramatic music) (gentle classical music) - [Narrator] Following the attempt on Lenin's life in August 1918 Lockhart, the British envoy to the Bolsheviks, was arrested.
Reilly, his co-conspirator, escaped from Russia with a price on his head.
Felix Dzerzhinsky, head of the Cheka, the Russian secret police, exacted a grim revenge on the hostages he held and threatened even more massive reprisals if Lenin died of his wounds.
But Lenin did not die.
- How is he?
- Better.
- How many are dead now?
- Moscow, by this morning's count, some 900 in Petrograd... - Stop the killing.
- The situation is still critical.
- We must find another way.
The war in Europe is all but over, When peace comes the whole world will turn its attention on us.
We must unite to face them.
Or we shall find ourselves fighting on a dozen fronts.
- We're already fighting on a dozen fronts.
(engines puttering) (men yelling in foreign language) (crowd cheering and clapping) - I must confess, there was a time when we thought we might not see you again!
- I want to thank you, Lord Cecil, for getting me out of Russia alive.
- It was touch and go, old boy, but Leeper here did a very good job.
- Hello, Robbie.
It's good to have you home.
This is Sykes.
- How do you do?
- You're you quite the hero, old boy.
Have you seen the newspapers recently?
- I'm more concerned what the Foreign Office thinks.
- Well, they want to crucify you, old boy.
(both chuckling) - What was it like?
- Sir!
(phone ringing) - Reilly.
- Sidney?
It's me!
I'm in London!
- Welcome back, old man!
- (chuckling) They were all set to shoot me and then they put me on a train!
Isn't it wonderful?
I'm home!
I'm a hero!
I have tea with the King at four.
- How's Mora?
- [Lockhart] I had to leave her behind.
(thudding) - Oh.
- [Lockhart] Well, I'm in enough trouble as it is.
Sykes said they were gonna crucify me!
- Did he?
Don't worry, Robbie, I'll take care of everything.
- All right, goodbye!
- Bye!
(hoofbeats clopping) Morning.
- Morning!
- Bollinger?
- You've run out of milk.
- I do apologize.
- You sleep well?
- Yes!
- Sidney.
- Sidney.
And I'm Alexandra.
- Yes, I know.
- But they call me the Plugger.
- The Plugger?
(imitating gunshot) - Ah.
- Bad news?
- It's from the Revolutionary Tribunal in Petrograd.
I'm to be tried for treason in my absence and if found guilty sentenced to death.
- That doesn't sound too good, does it?
- No.
- Should we have an arrangement, about my staying here?
I can't quite remember because I was a little under the weather.
- You blind drunk.
- [Alexandra] More bad news?
- I've been awarded the Military Cross.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
- what was the nature of our arrangement?
- You were to live with me for 30 days.
- In return for?
- 15 pounds a day plus a Glisenti revolver.
- I distinctly remember the figure 20 being mentioned.
- Yes it was, more than once, but by you, not by me.
(romantic music) - Tell me.
Did I shoot an apple off your head?
- Yes, you did.
- Must've been some night.
- It was.
- I haven't got a Vicente but this is a Beretta, it has similar characteristics.
(clicking) - [Reilly] Keeps jamming, my Luger.
- [Man] You've been using Parabellum again, Captain.
- [Reilly] Yes, I'm afraid I have.
- Well, you mustn't complain if it jams.
- Perhaps you could take another turn off the recoil spring?
- That would not make the slightest bit of difference.
This gun always has being a fuzzy feeder.
You should yourself a new one.
- It's too light.
A girl in my profession needs something heftier.
- May I ask what is your profession, miss?
- I'm a whore.
For the duration, of course.
When the war is over, it's back to mother.
- Oh this is a Mannlicher, one of the most beautiful guns ever made.
(clicking) (car horn honking) - What do you think, Sidney?
- It certainly is very beautiful.
But it's Austrian, you can't get the ammunition.
- I have two boxes.
- It's not enough.
- I don't intend to shoot the entire male population of London.
Just the occasional love.
- We'll take it.
- Yes, sir.
(kissing) You want me to service the Luger?
- Yes, by this afternoon, perhaps you could send them over?
(horn honking) - Hello, Alexandra!
What are you doing here?
- Buying a gun.
- I thought the ring came first, my dear.
(hoofbeats clopping) (whistling) (booming) - You've been back in the country for four days!
Where the hell have you been?
- Why don't you say welcome home or something civilized?
- Welcome home.
- Thank you.
- Do come in.
So, where have you been for the past four days?
- Lying low.
- Very wise.
This Russian business has all the makings of a major fiasco!
- You know Lockhart's back.
Everyone's running for cover, including the PM, and of everyone's looking for scapegoats.
The Foreign Office think you're a German agent, while the Treasury you think you're crook.
- And what's the Foreign Office been saying?
- That you were seen dining in Berlin last week as a guest of the German Navy.
- I was on my way back from Russia.
- Damn it all, Sidney!
We are still at war with Germany!
- The war is over!
- What do you mean it's over?
What the hell do you think that is out there that?
That is the war!
- It won't last another week.
(whistling) - and what's the Treasury's complaint?
- Vast amounts of money have been squandered by you on unsanctioned operations in Moscow.
The Bank of England is a dozen notes signed by Lockhart on yourinstructions.
I gather they run into millions of rubles!
- The stakes were high out there.
Moscow is awash with money, mostly German, we had to keep our hand up!
- You don't have to convince me!
As you as far as this department's concerned, your credit is still good.
But someone has got to pay for what happened out there, despite the fact that he's a public hero that someone you will probably be Lockhart.
- Lockhart was acting under my instructions!
- More fool he.
- I don't think you understand.
If Kaplan hadn't shot Lenin, we would've been in power by now.
Don't you realize how close we came to pulling it off?
- But in fact you failed!
Don't waste my time telling me how closely you came to pulling it off!
- Well, I'm not going to let Lockhart go to the wall.
(hoofbeats clopping) - Here.
- What's this?
- A Military Cross.
The gratitude of a grateful nation and all that.
- Thank you.
- And my gratitude too.
(clock tolling) Don't go into bat for Lockhart.
You won't get any thanks for it.
(train whistling) - Yes, sir.
From Stockholm.
- What is there to pay on that?
- Rail charges from Newcastle, rest's been taken care of.
Oh, thank you, sir.
(gentle music) (hoofbeats clopping) - Thank you.
- Thank you, sir.
- Mr. Krassin.
- Mr. Reilly.
- I got your letter.
- Our friends in Moscow send greetings to you.
Have you seen this morning's Times?
"One officer alone passed 100,000 pounds "in one week in Moscow for the purposes "of starting a counter-revolution.
"What are these operations that "our government dare not disclose to us?"
So you see, your exploits are making headlines here as well as at home.
- What is it you want Mr. Krassin?
- We Bolsheviks are faced with the fate of all revolutions.
We have no money.
We either have to borrow it or print it.
- So you want me to arrange a loan?
- Is that possible?
- [Reilly] How much do you have in mind?
- We need 250 million dollars urgently.
- It may be possible.
- In the meantime, call off your hired gun.
- Gun?
- There's a man who stands outside my house, he has the look of an assassin.
- He's not one of ours.
- I think he is.
- I'll see what I can do.
- I would appreciate that.
- It may take a little time, it's chaos back there.
- In the meantime, perhaps you could have a word with him, he depresses me, he never smiles.
I don't think he's a city person.
(hoofbeats clopping) (cars rumbling) That's him.
(tense music) (car rumbling) (typewriters clacking) - The tribunal will hear the charges against Lockhart and Reilly.
Will the counsel defending the two accused make themself known.
- Present.
- Will the prosecutor please begin?
- The charges against Robert Bruce Lockhart, the British envoy to the Revolutionary Government, and Sidney Reilly, the British secret agent, are as follows.
That they conspired from April of this year to bring about the destruction of the Revolution.
First by fomenting unrest within the Latvian regiments which guarded the Kremlin, and secondly by distributing large sums of money to procure the services of businessmen, priests, and politicians.
- Now the purpose of the inquiry is to establish exactly what took place in Moscow during the earlier part of this year, in what has become known in Russia as the Lockhart Plot.
Now we're fortunate in that Mr. Bruce Lockhart has been safely delivered from his captivity in the Kremlin and his observations, I hope, will form the bulk of this inquiry.
The other protagonist, the mysterious Captain Reilly, will not be making an appearance I'm told, because of his connections with our Secret Service.
- Lockhart.
(car rumbling) - Thank you.
- Thank you.
- Sidney!
- Good Lord, what are you doing here?
- I'm attending the hearing.
- So am I.
- Well, you have a dark secret.
How is it coming?
- My position was quite clear.
I was sent out to persuade the Bolsheviks to continue their fight against Germany.
Even after the Peace of Brest-Litovsk, such was the aggressive behavior of the German army, it was just possible Lenin might repudiate the treaty and come back into the war.
Unfortunately, at that moment, His Majesty's government, in its wisdom, landed an expeditionary force at Archangel.
- Savinkov, Minister of the Russian government in exile.
- And you, sir?
- Captain Sidney Reilly, Royal Canadian Flying Corps.
- Is either of you gentlemen carrying arms?
- Where did you first meet Reilly?
- In Moscow.
He called at my hotel.
He told me he had spoken to the Prime Minister before leaving London.
The Bolsheviks were to be removed and a new government friendly to the Allies put in their place.
He said he had a plan.
- Reilly's plans would require money?
- Yes.
- Where was it to come from?
- Through Commander Cromie, who had large amounts at the embassy in Petrograd.
The rest of it through me.
- And who's to be in this new government?
- Reilly's friends.
Savinkov, Grammaticoff, Orlov.
It was to be broadly right of center - And the Romanovs?
- There's no place in it for them.
- No Czar?
- [Lockhart] No, sir.
- And who was to head this government?
- Reilly himself.
- What the hell are you doing here?
- I'm going to give evidence.
- You most certainly are not!
- Do you know Boris Savinkov?
What does he think he's doing here?
- He is going to give evidence.
- This is an internal inquiry to which neither of you have been invited.
To put it plainly, you're not welcome!
- Boris, this is Commander Cummings.
- How do you do?
- I don't believe your paths have crossed.
- No but they've double-crossed.
We were promised two divisions at Archangel.
- Not by me!
- You listen to me!
With two divisions, we had a chance.
With the help of a miracle, we could've done it with one, we could, but you sent me 600 men and they arrived two weeks too late.
If you deliberately tried to destroy my army, you couldn't have done better!
- The problem is we have only your version of events.
- If Captain Reilly were allowed to make a statement, he would confirm my story.
And I believe he's just outside, in the antechamber.
- Of course you want the Bolsheviks removed, but only with a government will protect your interests!
- Well, of course, we do Mr. Savinkov!
- But by the time you've decided, it'll be too late!
- The inquiry is in here, Commander.
We were looking for Captain Reilly.
- [Reilly] I'm Reilly.
- You have the kindness to wait here.
- Hello, Sidney.
- Hello, Robbie.
- Thanks for coming.
- Boris is here.
Keep an eye on him, he's getting a bit excited.
- Gentlemen, I intend to adjourn this inquiry for the time being.
I've just received a dispatch from Compiegne.
It confirms that we have come to terms with the German government.
There's to be an armistice as from midnight.
The war is over!
(crowd cheering and clapping) (echoing overlapping conversations) (joyful music) (people laughing) ♪ For he's a jolly good fellow ♪ ♪ For he's a jolly good fellow ♪ ♪ And so say all of us ♪ (booming) (celebratory music) ♪ Rule Britannia ♪ ♪ Britannia rules the waves ♪ ♪ Britons never never never shall be slaves ♪ ♪ Rule Britannia ♪ ♪ Britannia rules the waves ♪ - Good evening.
- Good evening.
♪ Britons never never never shall be slaves ♪ (Party cheering) - Are you a friend of Sidney's?
- I had an appointment to see him this evening, unfortunately I was delayed.
The streets are some jammed and the trams have stopped.
- Trams?
Well, go down the hall, first room on the left.
- Thank you.
- Yes, good.
(party singing and cheering) - Don't you think it's odd that 2,000 miles away we're on trial for our lives?
Kind of an odd sensation.
- Don't you find it slightly pleasurable?
I mean, that sense of distance?
- I've just been telling Lockhart that I wouldn't mind Hill making a statement on his behalf, but not you, Sidney.
- But Hill is not here.
- Really?
Then who is that coming across the room?
(party clapping and cheering) - Sidney!
Robbie!
- What a day to come home!
- I thought they put you up against a wall.
- Where have you been?
- Bucharest, I had to remove the Imperial Crown jewels to a place of safekeeping.
- And where are the jewels, George?
- In my motorcar, sir.
- What a clever chap he is.
Ah!
- Hello Commander!
- My dear Plugger.
On who are you currently bestowing your favors?
- Sidney Reilly.
- Are you indeed?
- Do you know him?
- Like yourself, only professionally.
(both laughing) - This is for you.
A present from Shasha.
- How is he?
- Well, he sends his regards.
He's moved back to Petrograd.
Can't keep away from cougars.
Thank you.
- These are Mary's?
- Yes.
- [Caryll] Captain Reilly?
- Yes?
- I'm Caryll Houselander.
- Oh, yes.
- They're very pretty.
- You brought your drawings?
- Yes.
- Let's have a look at them.
You've never been to Russia?
- No, they're taken from photographs.
Some were composite.
- You make them well.
- Well, there's a demand, the magazines need pictures to illustrate their stories.
You were there - Oh, yes.
- [Caryll] Do they look right?
- [Reilly] Extraordinary, quite uncanny.
(clicking) - Woo!
- 32.
How long have you lived in this house with Boris?
- Two weeks.
- What's he like?
- He's on morphine most of the time.
- What about Sidney?
- He's a bit warped too.
- Cheers.
(clinking) - I'm going to set up a new organization to get us back into power.
Independent of London and Washington But it'll need money.
I need you to find it.
I'll deal with Russia, you can deal with all these rogues here in the West.
What do you say?
- I'm not sure I'm up to it, Boris.
- A month ago we were nearly masters of Moscow, only that girl's gun stopped us.
- The fact is we lost, we lost to Dzerzhinsky.
We also lost a lot of friends in the LaBianca and I feel responsible.
(somber music) (bell tolling) - So the situation with in Euroslavia.
Latvians here, Czechs, Japanese, huh, and Pols.
- There is someone outside.
- What do you mean someone?
- His name is Adamson, he's come from Petrograd to put a bullet through my head.
- How'd you learn this?
- From a comrade called Kressin.
- Kressin?
He's a Bolshevik!
- (chuckling) There's no reason to doubt his word on this.
- Assassin!
Assassin!
Come here.
Little nightcap, perhaps?
Lenin cocktail?
Brought a present from Petrograd, I hear!
(ominous music) I'm inviting you to drink with me.
Now don't, don't, don't pretend you don't know who I am.
Boris Savinkov, eh?
Razed Euroslavia in seven days.
Hung a hundred of your comrades in a single afternoon.
I've been fighting you to join me.
(whistling) We have a guest.
Well, what'll we drink to?
- To peace and freedom.
- That suits me, peace and freedom.
- Where do you come from, comrade?
- Riga.
My mother was born in Ratsleve - [Boris] Oh, I know Ratsleve.
- [Reilly] Your name is Adamson.
- Yes.
- [Reilly] What brings you to London?
- I came to kill you, Your Honor.
- Why have you waited so long when I've given you so many opportunities?
- There comes a moment when one decides.
When I track a man, I get to know him.
There is a weakness in you.
It surprises me but it's there.
- Don't count on it, my friend.
(women shouting and laughing) - Thank you, sir.
- No, no, no, so, sir, I thank you for coming to see us.
- Good night, Your Honor.
- Good night, Your Honor (laughing).
- They're at their most dangerous when they're polite.
- [Boris] Look, if you want me to get rid of him... - No, no.
Tell me, how much money do you need for this organization of yours?
- Well, let's say a million dollars that in the first year, we wanna have the organization set then and we'll organize the cells.
In the second year, maybe less.
- Have you ever thought of perhaps robbing banks?
- I thought of everything.
What we need to begin with is 100,000 dollars.
- I'll see what I can do.
- I'd given you up for dead.
Well, you've got your loan.
Glenn's will act for the principals - Go on - You'll receive 50 million at once, another hundred will follow in four weeks time and the balance in three months.
- And what's the interest?
- It will be high.
And so will my commissioning fee.
- 1% - Three - That's impossible!
- Do you mean it cuts into your margin?
- The offer is firm?
- Oh yes, the bank will want security, expense paid and maturing.
Can you get me a portfolio?
- Of course.
- Good, then it's a deal.
- We'll share the Commission.
- You're a Bolshevik, Krassin, what do want money for?
- Regarding Adamson.
He won't listen to me.
Will you deal with him?
He's your comrade, comrade.
- The inquiry into the conduct of our affairs in northern Russia continues.
Captain George Hill has agreed to give evidence.
Leeper, will you begin?
- Captain Hill, you were known as ST7, what does that signify?
- ST stands for Stockholm, Stockholm is the base for our for our intelligence operations in Russia.
- And ST1 was?
- Captain Reilly.
(horn blaring) (cars rumbling) - Thank you, sir.
- I saw you coming.
Take off your coat.
- Is this yours?
- It belonged to my father.
Tea?
- Yes, please.
- That's the mysterious man who was going round Moscow spending thousands on the counter-revolution.
- You've been reading the Times?
- Yes.
- You should be careful where you place this, it could cause embarrassment.
- I was joking, it's not going anywhere.
You can have it.
- I'd be glad to pay for it.
- No, please.
I give it to you.
- What's all this in the background?
- Plots, plans, and conspiracies.
Is that how it was?
It was a lot of that.
It was also something else.
Passion.
Life was lived at speed.
- That's how I like to experience it.
(gentle music) - I'm told you're a seer.
- Yes.
It's a gift from my grandmother.
That's her up there.
- Do you remember these?
They belonged to a friend of mine.
She died in the LaBianca yard after Lenin was shot.
Can you tell me something about her final hours?
- I thought you came here to buy my sketches, Captain.
- I just thought you might be able to help.
It's very important.
- Could we come to the night of August the 30th?
- Yes.
- You were in Petrograd?
- Yes, I was at the Embassy with Cromie and Sidney Reilly.
Reilly received a call from a friend of his warning us that Lenin had been shot.
I told Cromie and he immediately began the destruction of the codes and ciphers.
Reilly was more concerned about the money.
- [Leeper] The money?
- The 800 thousand pounds in Cromie's safe When the Cheka arrived, Cromie seized a pair of revolvers to defend the place.
Reilly tried to persuade him to come with us but he would have none of it.
There was something of an argument and we left by rear window.
- This is an extremely serious business, Captain.
You've just told us how you abandoned Cromie to a mob of frenzied Chekas, and then took off with the contents of his safe.
- Cromie was trying to save the ciphers, Reilly was trying to save the money.
It was needed for the defeat of the Bolsheviks.
You could say that Cromie was fighting the last war and Reilly fighting the next.
- Where is the money now?
(suspenseful music) - [Reilly Voiceover] "My dear Boris, "herewith, the first installment."
- Sidney?
Hurry.
How long will you be?
- Just coming.
(pen scratching) (romantic music) (ominous music) (clicking) (gun firing) (shattering) (gun firing) (Reilly sighing) (truck rumbling) (light piano music) - Where is he?
- In the study.
Why don't you go to bed?
- Just leave me alone, I'll be all right.
(light piano music) (match striking) (heavy breathing) (banging) (Caryll gasping) (Caryll screaming) - Well where did you bury him?
- Under the lake in St. James' Park.
They've drained it for the duration but they are filling it tomorrow.
A nice place to be laid to rest.
Peaceful.
Morning, my dear.
Well, he suddenly chose his moment.
- [Reilly] Did I tell you I just had the Luger serviced?
- [Lockhart] I wonder why he didn't go to you the first time.
- Deserved repose to Adamson and a Satan's lot is not a happy one.
(clinking) (phone ringing) - Reilly.
- Sidney.
I just had notice from the Revolutionary Tribunal in Moscow.
I'm sentenced to death and so are you.
- Yes, I've had one, too.
- [Lockhart] What does it mean?
Means you can't go back to Russia while the Bolsheviks are in power.
So if you wanna see more again we're gonna have to get them out.
- And how do we do that?
I don't know yet but I'm leaving the Secret Service to join Savinkov.
Any time you want to join us, you'll be welcome.
(hoofbeats clopping) (romantic music) (car rumbling) - Here, these belong to you.
- Well, how did you get on?
- Just one image.
That's you, in the snow.
I saw you walk down that hill.
- There's nothing here about Mary Fried.
- No.
That is nothing as strong as the image of you in the clearing.
- How can you explain that?
- I can't.
- You've just foretold my death, is that it?
- Yes.
Do you recognize the location?
- Yes, those are the Sparrow Hills outside Moscow.
What happened here?
- Those are the marks the earrings made.
(gentle music) - I'm sorry for beigng so ungrateful.
- He gave me this message for you, "No more games."
- "No more games?"
- That's what he said.
It was touch-and-go, we nearly lost the loan.
- What about Adamson?
- I think Reilly took care of him.
- Thank you, Kressin.
- We may need him again.
- In my idea, we should be playing more games, not less.
- Mm, that's what I feel.
I have a plan for the biggest game of all.
A revolutionary organization in Moscow dedicated to our own destruction.
Everybody who hates us will join and everybody who attacked us from abroad will be lured back home.
In it, every Western government will see the salvation of Russia, what they won't see is that we control it.
- Too dangerous.
When you play that game, who knows in the end who will control who.
- See, anyway we'll get violent.
- I can't persuade you to stay?
- I said that when the war was over I'd go back to mother.
- Well, I imagine this will come in very useful in, uh... - Sunningdale.
- Sunningdale!
Is there anything I can do for you?
- Yes, I've got a box stuff here, mostly medals given to me by some very young men.
I don't want to keep them and I don't want to throw them out.
- I'll see they're returned.
- Good luck.
Though I can't help feeling you're living on borrowed time.
- We get along, you and I.
You know that.
- Yes.
(gentle music) - Look after yourself, my dear.
- Bye-bye.
- [Narrator] Following the inquiry of the Foreign Office, Lockhart has given a junior post in Czechoslovakia, which he endured for a number of years before resigning to become a journalist.
Hill stayed on in the Secret Service founding, along with Reilly and others, a luncheon club dedicated to the destruction of Bolshevism.
Despite the close personal ties which Reilly still retained with the service, his future now lay with Boris Savinkov and the Russian emigre movement to whom he committed all his time and money.
(peaceful classical music) (triumphant tone)
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