In the trenches of France, a group of German infantrymen from the First World War live out their lives. They find brief respite and entertainment in a village beyond the lines, but their lives are dominated by anxiety as attacks on and from the French troops fluctuate. Karl, one of the men, returns home on leave and discovers the degradation his family has been subjected to during the war. He rejoins the lines just in time to face a massive French tank offensive.