The film follows the stories of a handful of characters: Andrei (Radescu), who finds himself in conflict with his peers; Colonel Maxineanu (Stanculescu), the school commander; and Adrian (Mavrodineanu), a young villager who is inspired by the bravery of the cadets.

The Hungarians arrive and launch a series of attacks against the Romanians. The Axis are pushed back again and again, despite superior numbers and weaponry. At the end of the film, they launch one last attack, which seems to momentarily begin breaking through. Just at that moment, reinforcements from the Soviet and Romanian armies arrive, pushing the Hungarians back.