Persuasion In All Quiet On The Western Front

In the nineteenth century, the whole European continent erupted into war due to the spread of the new political ideology known as nationalism. In All Quiet on the Western Front, we are introduced to the Second Company, a group of German soldiers fighting in World War I and among them is our narrator Paul and a group of his friends from school. How did a bunch of teenagers decide to enlist as volunteers in a war they knew nothing about? The answer is simple their old schoolmaster Kantorek convinced them to enlist as ultimate proof of their patriotism.
By the time we meet them though the effects of Kantorek’s persuasion has been replaced by the true horror of the modern trench warfare that they now found themselves amidst. By the time the reader meets Paul and his friends, they are so desensitized by the war that they seem detached from their emotions. Paul mentions the fact that over half of his company was killed the same way someone would note the weather. The soldiers themselves don’t understand why they must fight and die to defend empty and useless ideals. If you weren’t aware of why the war was being fought outside of the

However, I would join the forces in a Civil War type of combat before I’d join in another World War. When it comes to the Civil War, you knew exactly what was at stake and why you were willing to risk your life to protect. I believe wholeheartedly that no one should be enslaved just to preserve the peace in a country, so I couldn’t sit back and let anything like that occur again. In this type of war, you can outmaneuver the enemy and actually gain strongholds to assist in your victory. However, in modern trench warfare countless lives were lost for nothing beyond preserving a country’s nationalistic ideals, which is hardly a reason to lose your grip on your humanity or your