One of Millions (1914)

Gladimer Kubelow, a young soldier, in whom an adoring mother places all of her love and affection is loved by Maria, a peasant girl. Gladimer divides his heart and soul between the two women who love him. In the very midst of the marriage festivities, the laughter and jests are checked by the entrance of an officer who announces that war is declared. Gladimer realizes the seriousness of what the future may bring, as does his mother, but Maria in the optimism of youth, only thinks of war as a vision of flying flags and the thrill of fife and drum. A retreating soldier staggers into Gladimer's modest home and announces that a battle is on only a few miles distant. The mother's careworn face is clouded with apprehension for the safety of her boy, but Maria thinks it would be glorious to see a battle, and with several of her girl friends she merrily starts toward the scene of action. However, when they come upon one who has laid down his life for his country, they are crushed by the horror of war's reality. Soon after, one of their own villagers comes to the door and they anxiously crowd around him for news of their boy. Graphically he tells them that the last he saw of their boy was when, wounded, he tried to crawl from the charge of General Blucher's cavalry and how ruthlessly they rode him down. That night the mother and Maria start out in search of the loved one. When they bring him home dead. Maria's mind snaps under the strain. The mother hurries out to find a doctor. She meets one who stops long enough to give her a drug and explain that three drops will bring her sleep, hut more would bring death. While preparing the medicine, soldiers arrive and take possession of her home. They demand food and drink, and while she is serving them another officer enters and announces: "General Blucher, the horses will be ready in the morning." General Blucher has the mother show him to a room and demands that she bring him a bottle of wine. As she places the wine on a tray a look of vengeance steals over her face, and she quickly pours the contents of the vial into the bottle of wine. General Blucher unsuspectingly drinks this down and slowly a paralysis comes over him that spreads so rapidly that his calls for help are ineffective. He crawls from the room to where he finds the crazed bride caressing and talking to her dead soldier. Then the mother enters and tells him of her son and his death, and with a final look of agony. General Blucher falls back dead. These events have been too much even for the old mother and taking a burning fagot from the fireplace she throws it on to a bed of straw and as the flames rapidly crawl around these poor unfortunates the curtains slowly close, and leave us with a vivid impression of the horrors of war and thankful for the peace that surrounds us.