When Colonel Chabert marries a prostitute named Rose Chapotel, he doesn't know yet how the marriage will affect the rest of his life. Chabert leaves for a war in Russia, where he is seriously wounded. Everyone thinks he is dead. Chabert, however, has enough strength to survive – and after being away for years, he is about to return to Paris. But nothing is the same in Paris. Chabert's property is gone, but he is not the kind of man who would easily give up – he is ready to fight for his rights.