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All Quiet On The Western Front Analysis

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In 1914 World War I became the first event to impact society on a global scale. No person or country experienced such mass destruction or annihilation before. The closeness of Europe’s countries pitted them against each other and strong nationalist feelings emerged in government and civilian life. The soldiers experienced the worst of the war during its duration. Most lost their innocence due to the clouded perception of war by society, the young age of the recruits, and such high intensity falling on their shoulders. All Quiet on the Western Front candidly portrayed the struggles of the Lost Generation while and after the Great war took place. Before World War I European society believed that war presented a time to show the nationalism and strength of your country. Young …show more content…

Before fighting, the men attended training camps that cruel officers like Himmelstoss ran. They did not tell the specific details of the war and how to stay alive. Once entering the trenches many were unprepared to fight. Due to their inexperience many died very early by making crucial mistakes. Their faces held looks of terror as they saw torn limbs, dead bodies, and brutal killings all across the battlefield. Paul met a new recruit after the man retreated into his arm during a heavy bombardment. After the terror finished, Paul realized that the boy defecated in his pants and helped him through the shock(4.61-62). At the next battle Paul found the recruit on the ground with a serious hip wound. He whispered to Paul, “Don’t go away, Stay here,” like he was talking to his mother(4.72). Though he was not yet physically dead, the man had been mentally damaged by war. Other soldiers had difficulty with the transition while dealing with claustrophobia in the trenches and the loud noises of the shellings. Some went insane trying to cope with the intensity. War broke the young soldiers without much

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