All Quiet On The Western Front Effects Of War

World War One was a very gruesome and lengthy war that physically and emotionally wrecked the soldiers who fought for their country. All Quiet on the Western Front is a book written by Erich Maria Remarque that defines what war is like in the eyes of soldiers. Some of Remarque's main characters in his book include Paul, his high school peers, and his schoolmaster Kantorek. These 19-year-old boys were fresh out of grade school and decided to enlist in the military due to Kantorek's forceful pressure for the boys to fulfill their patriotic duties. He pushed nationalism and patriotism in his lectures when recruiting the young boys to serve their country which the boys believed until they became soldiers and quickly learned that Kantorek's opinion

The living situation for the soldiers was very uncomfortable, with men sleeping with just a sheet and wire beds. The men had filthy hygiene that caused the spread of lice throughout the entire company. Clothes and boots were often the wrong size or in inadequate shape for battle. When Paul's school friend Franz Kemmerich was injured, his comrades were more concerned about his boots than the passing of Kemmerich's life. This had a great deal to do with the realistic views the soldiers had and them knowing that better boots increase their chance of survival; but also the soldiers tried not to grieve over the many deaths they encountered. Decent uniforms were a must during the trench warfare because the battle site was filthy. The ditches where the men often fought were flooded with murky water and had dead corpses. There were also rats that roamed the trenches feeding off of the injured and fallen men. The remaining soldiers often went without food and sleep for long periods of time, which made their bodies weak and susceptible to infection. These horrendous combat conditions increased disease and medical attention needed for the

Machine guns and poisonous gas were two new weapons used heavily during the war, along with the use of trench warfare. The weapons were more deadly than in previous wars, which caused the medical technology to lag behind. The medical staff was inexperienced to the new injuries caused by the modern weapons and the clinic had inadequate amounts of supplies to properly treat patients. The lack of funds used to supply the medical equipment caused many soldiers to go untreated which either amplified their injuries or caused death. For example, Kemmerich would have had a higher chance of surviving his leg amputation if there were modern medical techniques and supplies available. The nurses working the clinic removed Kemmerich from his medical bed as soon as he passed away to make room for another injured man, this situation again shows the lack of supplies and equipment to be able to help the immense amount injured troops. Soldiers that experienced extreme injuries from war had little to, no chance of survival due to the medical treatment that could be provided at the time. The smallest of battle wounds often ended in a fatality due to the inadequate medical treatment and poor living