The idealistic student Demachy is one of a handful of French draftees. As the march off to war they full of joyful patriotic fervor. But after they experience the realities of total warfare the men are disillusioned quickly. After they endured ten nonstop days of enemy bombardment, the soldiers learn that their trenches are being mined from underground. The fighting seems to be endless and pauses is rare. When a long-expected furlough is due they are ordered to march in a victory parade for the entertainment of their callous, fat-cat superior officers. One by one, the men are killed off, until only Demachy, remains — but, tragically, not for long.