Two young military officers, Paul Hartman, an Austrian, and Nika Turgenov, a Russian, protect young Mary Ann Wagner. Her promise to marry Paul makes Nika furious. When war is declared between Austria and Russia, her village is conquered by the Russians and Mary Ann has to submit to Nika's desires on the condition that he agree not to execute three of the town's leading citizens. When the Austrian army retakes the town, Paul believes that Mary Ann has betrayed him, but the girl's motives are shown to have been purely patriotic.