The third part of Paul May′s "08/15" trilogy based on the novel by Hans Hellmut Kirst takes place shortly before the end of World War II: In the spring of 1945, the German troops are practically defeated, and the battalion of Kowalski, major general von Plönnies and Asch who had risen to the rank of lieutenant in the meantime is left to its own devices to a large extent. They hope to be able to wait for the end of the war without having to encounter any combat operations. At the same time, Asch tries to prevent high-level Nazi officers from disappearing unnoticed and from cashing in on the chaotic circumstances.

In the made-up country of Alanien, King Alexander I has been overthrown while abroad. Now, he's in Vienna with his daughter, the city of his fondest memories since studying there as a boy. It doesn't take long for the charm of Vienna to work its magic on the former king: he quickly comes to terms with the new situation and is able to enjoy the Austrian capital sans all the ceremony and trappings which would otherwise accompany him on a state visit. The princess is content with preparing herself for a career as a pianist concert, while the former king takes a job as a chauffeur in the embassy of the country he once ruled. The revolutionaries are shocked; and his days in Vienna are numbered.

Albin Skoda embodies a frantic Adolf Hitler in his last days, scrambling to keep the Third Reich alive as morale within the bunker wanes and Berlin is encircled by enemy troops. Based on Michael A. Musmanno's book Ten Days to Die, Oscar Werner costars as fictional Nazi Hauptmann Wüst, a disillusioned middleman.

Ever since Rappelkopf was once deceived by a con man, he has become the epitome of a suspicious, stubborn misanthrope and a family nuisance. His wife and daughter, as well as his servants, suffer from his bad moods, accusations, and insinuations. The kind, alpine mountain spirit Astragalus, the King of the Alps, wants to rescue the grumpy man from his constant discontent and misanthropy. He promises to remedy his situation and makes Rappelkopf an offer he cannot refuse: he is to become his alter ego, to slip into another, better form. In the guise of his brother-in-law, the tyrant is to visit his family to convince himself of their loyalty and love. The King of the Alps, in turn, wants to appear as Rappelkopf, the living mirror of the true family despot, in order to morally purify him through self-knowledge.