The richest farmer and at the same time mayor Dubský and first councilman Bušek are constantly competing for supremacy. Their rivalry affects not only the fates of their families, but also the entire village, in which every problem, even the smallest one, everything that the board of directors discusses becomes a battleground for the two rivals. And it is not just about who will be appointed night watchman due to the increasing thefts. It is also about the love of Václav, Dubský's son, and Verunka, the daughter of councilman Bušek.

Summer 1916. A transport of Russian prisoners of war passes through Brno. The health of Russian officer Ryepkin deteriorates so much that he is taken to an Austrian military hospital. He almost dies and needs a transfusion. The German nurse Mathilda is the only one with the same blood type. However, because she hates everything Slavic, she hesitates to help and the chief physician, MUDr. Šrámek, has to remind her of her human duty.

A young farmer, Jan Aleš, is drafted from his native Pošumaví to join the army. Since he likes his new environment, he stays with the army as a long-term serviceman. He even successfully passes the exams for the military academy. There he becomes friends with his Slovak colleague Milan Jurčík. He studies diligently, but thanks to Milan he sometimes finds time to go out into the city. That is how he meets the factory owner's daughter, Zdenka, with whom he falls in love. However, her father is not very happy about the promising relationship.