Soldiers are outsiders in a peaceful society. And when war breaks out, they are even more so. Because their lives are always at stake, they must live them to the fullest - without regard for losses. Marie Wesener, a beautiful merchant's daughter, is delighted that the dashing officer Desportes is flirting with her. She thinks nothing of it. But that is a mistake. With contributions to both works from Kindler's Literature Lexicon. With data on life and work, exclusively written by the editorial team of the literary magazine TEXT + KRITIK.