Studio Hamburg Atelierbetriebsgesellschaft mbH

The movie depicts the events from July until September of 1914 which led to the defeat of the German troops at the Marne. While Sebastian Haffner explains and comments on operations and decisions on the basis of situation maps, key scenes are depicted by actors. A main focus is thereby placed by Haffner onto the controversial mission of lieutenant-colonel Richard Hentsch who is said to have, during a war patrol to the various army high commands, contributed to the abortion of the operations significantly.

On Wednesday night, violent criminal Karl Schanz escapes from Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel prison. Disguised as a policeman, he manages to get to the apartment of young Christine, the wife of his best friend and former fellow inmate. Christine has no idea that Schanz has already stabbed a man to death during his escape. His goal: by taking the senior public prosecutor hostage, he wants to extort a million marks and a flight to South America...