As World War I draws to a close, a German lieutenant (Claus Clausen) leads his troops on a dispiriting tour of duty through France. In between horrifying intervals of bloodshed in the trenches, one soldier, Karl (Gustav Diessl), is granted a brief reprieve and allowed to return home to his wife (Hanna Hoessrich), only to find that wartime conditions have left her both morally and financially bankrupt. Returning to the front, the disillusioned Karl willfully volunteers for a harrowing mission.