The film begins at the start of the war and shows examples of the enthusiasm for the war in 1914 which persuaded millions of young Europeans to join up and fight for their country. It follows a group of young German soldiers from the moment they volunteer to the time when they actually to to the front in France. The young men are very soon disillusioned when they see the reality of trench warfare-constant bombardment,senseless deaths, horrific living conditions, mud and lack of food.
In one scene, the French attack the German lines and are cut down by German machine guns. The Germans counteract but this time it is the turn of the French to drive them back. In the battles, the German soldiers lose a lot of men but find themselves in exactly the same trenches as before. It is at this point in the film that the soldiers talk about the war.