德国青年保罗·鲍曼在沙文主义思想的煽动下，投身一战之中。亲临战场才渐渐了解到真正的战争是饥饿、血腥和死亡。战争吃紧，物资匮乏，保罗亦因受伤返乡，才知愚昧的乡民根本不知前线危急，仍抱着大日耳曼主义的幻想，老师继续向少年人鼓吹沙文主义思想。保罗义愤填膺向学生陈述战争的无情， 自己则提前结束休假返回前线。当“西线无战事”之时，保罗放飞自己去追逐美丽的蝴蝶，却被流弹击中……

　　影片改编自德国作家雷马克的同名小说。影片通过青年们理想的破灭衬托出战争的残酷。当主角好不容易从爱国的迷梦中清醒过来时，却发现另一批青年学子又被骗上。

The Army nurses on Bataan need help badly, but when it arrives, it sure isn't what they expected. A motley crew, including a Southern belle, a waitress, and a stripper, show up. Many conflicts arise among these women who are thrown together in what is a desperate and ultimately hopeless situation.

During the winter of 1943, the German Army halted the American advance in the mountains of Italy; back-and-forth combat decimates Joe Peterson's platoon. On leave in Naples, Joe meets WAC lieutenant Eleanor MacKay; initially cool, she begins to melt during a bombing raid. Their romance develops despite Joe's periodic returns to the front. But whether he'll come back in the end becomes more than doubtful.