[3] Set in Paris in 1944, the film offers an imagined account of the efforts by the Swedish diplomat Raoul Nordling to avert the destruction of the city by the German general Dietrich von Choltitz.

[6] As the Allied Forces move toward Paris, Adolf Hitler commands General Dietrich von Choltitz to destroy the city.

The landmarks targeted include the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde, Notre Dame Cathedral and Les Invalides.

The Swedish consul, Raoul Nordling, sneaks into the general's office in the Hotel Meurice by means of a secret staircase originally built for a famous courtesan who lived there.

The site's consensus states that "For filmgoers who value character development and smart dialogue over plot, Diplomacy yields rich, powerfully acted rewards.