싱글 마더인 수잔네는 공장에서 단순 노동자로 일하며 딸 제니를 키우고 있다. 삶의 무게에 지친 그녀는 공장도 그만두고 더 나은 일자리를 찾아 나선다. 그러나 딸의 병원비조차 내기 힘들어지자 친구의 조언으로 보험료를 받기 위해 자전거를 잃어버린 척한다. 우연히 만난 토마스와의 관계도 진척되지만 결국 허위로 보험금을 받았음이 알려지게 되고 수잔네는 곤경에 처하게 된다.
Joe and Benny are two cowboys on tour in the Wild West as a singing duo, usually without a penny in their pockets to spare. Joe is a talented rodeo-rider, which fascinates the little girl Susanne and gives her the wish to have him as a father. Her mother Maria, however, is to marry the evil, rich farmer Dave. Susanne wants to stop the wedding, so she sneaks aboard Joe and Benny's wagon to persuade them to intervene. Dave brands them as kidnappers, forcing them to flee as outlaws to one of the families tyrannized by Dave. Together, they strike back at Dave, at which point Maria sees that he's the wrong man for her.
Two 17-year-olds, Werner Holt and Gilbert Wolzow, are pulled out of school and into Hitler's army. Gilbert becomes a fanatical soldier; but at the front, Werner begins to understand the senselessness of war.
