In 1812, on the eve of the decisive battle of Borodino, a French secret agent steals a battle plan of the Russian troops. This fact is known to General Kutuzov, thanks to a young nobleman named Alexey Tarusov. Tarusov joins a regiment of Russian lancers, and finds new friends and together they have many adventures...
Nearing the end of the 18th century, Napoleon's vast army is sailing towards the Irish coast. The national poet and freedom fighter who goes by the name of "The O'Flynn" is traveling back to the castle where he was born, when he encounters a coach being robbed by rogues. The leader of the outlaws is a man named Hendrigg. The robbery fails thanks to O'Flynn's efforts. He offers the passenger, Lady Benedetta, to come with him and take refuge in his castle.
Pendant l'occupation de l'Espagne par les troupes napoléoniennes, le beau Juan d'Aranda (Jean-Claude Pascal) se distingue par sa bravoure et aussi par ses succès féminins. Ignorant ses origines françaises, il combattra tout d'abord auprès des guérilléros puis sous les ordres du général Gaston de Sallanches qui se révèlera être son père. Plusieurs femmes le tireront de situations critiques : Térésa (Magali Noël), une jeune paysanne, la duchesse d'Albuquerque (Sophie Desmarets), séduite par sa prestance, mais son cœur appartiendra à la mignonne Pilar (Brigitte Bardot).
La scène se déroule en Lituanie en 1812, alors que la Pologne est rayée de la carte. Deux familles s'affrontent, l'une alliée aux Russes, l'autre indépendantiste. En juin 1812, Napoléon marche sur Moscou et franchit le Niémen.
À hauteur d'homme est inspiré de la vie du docteur Louis Seutin, médecin et chirurgien belge du XIX siècle qui s'initia à son art au milieu des combats des guerres du Premier Empire français. Rentré en Belgique, il se consacra au progrès de la médecine, notamment dans la réorganisation des hôpitaux et dans les domaines de la lutte contre la fièvre puerpérale, du développement de la chirurgie osseuse et de la guérison des fractures. Sa méthode amovo-inamovible de réduction des fractures échappe aux défauts des méthodes qui l'ont précédée en conjuguant les avantages des méthodes légères et des méthodes lourdes sans leurs inconvénients.
In 1812, during the French period, large parts of Germany are occupied by the troops of Napoleon. Several paramilitary Freikorps units battle the French forces, among them the Black Brunswickers led by the 'Black Duke' Frederick William of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. After the War of the Fifth Coalition, the Black Hussars are pursued by Napoleon throughout the country, but frequently take refuge with the noble-minded German people.
In 1809, Sir Arthur Wellesley (David Troughton), the commander of the British army fighting the French in Portugal, is saved from three pursuing French cavalrymen by Sergeant Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean). Wellesley rewards Sharpe with a field promotion to lieutenant and command of the "chosen men", a handful of sharpshooters previously led by Rifleman Patrick Harper (Daragh O'Malley). The two men take an instant dislike to each other.
While on patrol, Sharpe (Sean Bean) and his men rout some French soldiers who have raped and murdered the inhabitants of a Spanish village. Two are captured alive. Their commander, Brigadier General Loup (Oliver Cotton), attempts to bargain with Sharpe for the lives of his men, but Sharpe has them shot in front of him. Loup vows revenge as he departs.