Marseilles, 1795: Broke and unemployed, 25-year-old Napoleon seeks the hand of Désirée, a relative of his sister-in-law, who possesses a substantial dowry. When her parents reject him, he leaves for Paris, where he secures an important position and meets the beautiful Josephine.
While Napoleon wages a brilliant campaign in Italy, Josephine conducts an affair with a handsome captain in Paris. When Napoleon demands that she join him in Milan, she replies that she can't travel, but Napoleon's passion for her grows greater each day.