The film is a romantic melodrama<ref name="Institute1971"></ref> about two childhood friends, Leo and Ulrich, who grow up to be soldiers in Germany. Leo becomes infatuated with Felicitas, the wife of a powerful Graf (a marriage about which Felicitas neglects to inform Leo). The count calls for a duel of honor with Leo, but insists that it be done under the false pretense that the quarrel was due to angry words exchanged between the two at a card game in order to protect the count's reputation. Leo kills the count in the duel, but then is punished by the military, being sent away to German colonial empire#Acquisition of colonies for five years.