The historical-fiction novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque describes the atrocities of World War I from the perspective of the Germans. The war started in 1914 and lasted till 1918, nationalism being a large contributor towards the starting of this war. Across these 4 years, there was a casualty count of over 40 million. The slaughter and destruction were so great that it was branded as “the war to end all wars.” In 1917, The author was drafted into this atrocious war at the age of 18. With the experience he gained, he sought to highlight the atrocities of the war, many of which are seemingly compiled into this novel. By using Paul Bäumer's eyes, the audience has seen many of the personal experiences of the author: the terrible conditions of trenches, extreme lack of food, and masses of casualties. On a deeper level, however, it becomes clear that the author is complaining about nationalism itself within society. This becomes evident through many different literary devices, including irony, imagery, and dialogue.
The concept of nationalism in All Quiet on the Western Front reflects the larger historical context of pre-war Europe. Through Paul's experiences, the author shows how schools, teachers, and society pushed young men to view war as a path to glory. This becomes clear when Paul states, 'While they taught that duty to one's country is the greatest thing, we already knew that death-throes are stronger.' The author seems to criticize how educational institutions became tools for spreading nationalist ideas. For example, Paul's school, which should have protected its students, instead sent them straight to the trenches. Teachers like Kantorek spent more time talking about duty to the fatherland than actual learning. Paul and his classmates only later understood how their teachers pushed them towards war instead of teaching them anything useful. They start to see that all the talk about honor and serving their country was just empty words used to trick them into joining the army. What makes it even worse is that both sides - Germans and French alike - were told they fought for a righteous cause, which shows how nationalism works as a system of control, not just in Germany but across all nations involved in the conflict. Their discovery that both sides - Germans and French alike - were told they fought for a righteous cause shows how nationalism works as a system of control, not just in Germany but across all nations involved in the conflict.
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While the novel employs various literary techniques to explore nationalism in All Quiet on the Western Front, irony best demonstrates this issue. This is first shown when Paul recalls his past as a student, “… He used to glare at us through his spectacles and say in a moving voice: ‘Won’t you join up, Comrades’ … Strange to say, Behm was one of the first to fall” (Remarque 11, 12). This quote displays Kantorek as he attempts to influence his students to join the war effort. This proves ironic because as the scene unfolds, the audience learns that Joseph Behm, the only unwilling student whom Kantorek recruited, is one of the first of the second company to die; what brings Behm into the war is the reason for his death. Despite Behm being quite hesitant to join the war effort, he is pressured into believing that it is almost traitorous to his country to not join the war effort. “But he did allow himself to be persuaded; otherwise, he would have been ostracized” (11). This demonstrates the issue of nationalism, as it is being used here as a tool to recruit much of the populace towards the awful cause that is the war and, in Behm’s case, force those who are unwilling to join.
This manipulation through nationalist propaganda leads Paul and his friends to deeply distrust Kantorek and others like him. This is shown when the author states, “Yes, that’s the way they think, these hundred thousand Kantoreks! Iron Youth! Youth! We are none of us more than twenty years old. But young? Youth? That is long ago. We are old folk” (18). This depicts the scene in which the group of young men humors the letter Kantorek has sent referring to his students as the iron youth. Paul displays his hatred towards Kantorek as he brands all nationalists as Kantorek, the one that had prodded them into joining the war effort. In addition, the quote shows the hardships that have been brought upon Paul due to the war, in which they were tricked into joining, believing that it would demonstrate their nationalism, as he laughs at being called young, believing that he has experienced enough to be considered an old man. However, irony is not the only literary device used to display the problem of nationalism.
Beyond irony, the author's use of powerful imagery further reveals how nationalism corrupts young minds. This is first seen when the author writes, “We were still crammed full of vague ideas which gave to life, and to the war also an ideal and almost romantic character… We recognized that what matters is not the mind but the boot brush, not intelligence but the system, not freedom but drill” (21, 22). This scene depicts Paul recalling his past life and how naive he once was. What is stated here by the author helps to instill the image in the audience’s head that everything Paul previously knew is now seemingly insignificant. In addition, it seems as if this scene teaches Paul and his friends to believe that true patriotism comes in the form of blind submission as he is forced to relinquish his freedom. This displays how nationalism is exploitable as Paul and the other students at the academy naively joined the war effort, only on the premise that it would display their patriotism without considering the possible atrocities of the war. Because of this false premise, Paul and the rest of the students at the academy are lured into the war and are now forced to suffer the consequences as they experience their previous way of life being ripped away.
Once more, imagery is used to display the issue of nationalism. Imagery is used during the scene with the Russian prisoners when the author states, 'They have faces that make one think--honest peasant faces… They look just as kindly as our own peasants in Friesland' (190). This scene depicts Paul humanizing the enemy Russian prisoners, comparing them to German peasants. The imagery present in this scene helps to depict the enemy Russians as no different from any German, displaying Paul's lack of nationalism as he begins to grow increasingly tired of the war. The scene with the Russians becomes even more powerful when Paul watches them dig trenches - the same meaningless work that his own side does. He sees how they share food, help their weak friends, and worry about their families just like German soldiers do. The author seems to be stating, through Paul humanizing the enemy Russian prisoners, that nationalism is harmful as it has brainwashed many into viewing the enemy as sub-human. The author then goes on to state, 'A word of command has made these silent figures our enemies; a word of command might transform them into our friends' (193, 194). This shows how nationalism in All Quiet on the Western Front turns ordinary people into enemies over nothing but words from leaders. This demonstrates the lie that is nationalism, as many have been brainwashed into thinking that it is an expression of one's pride for their country to mercilessly kill the enemy. However, this quote goes to show that the war is just an unnecessary sacrifice, as this dispute could simply be resolved through an agreement.
While imagery shows the human cost of nationalism, the soldiers' dialogue reveals how deeply this ideology has poisoned society. This becomes apparent when the author writes, “… ‘We are here to protect our fatherland. And the French are over there to protect their fatherland. Now who’s in the right’” (203). During this scene, Paul and his friends discuss which country is truly in the right. However, Paul states that maybe both countries are right, and possibly both are wrong. Thus, the conflicting ideology of nationalism is displayed as everyone is led to believe that they hold the correct stance in the war. “… ‘our professors and parson and newspapers say that we are the only ones that are right… but the French professors and parsons and newspapers say that the right is on their side” (203, 204). This leads the group of young men to turn their heads toward the political powers behind the war as they begin to realize that the war is a ploy for the people in power’s own personal gain, “... every full-grown emperor requires at least one war. Otherwise he would not become famous… We didn’t want the war… and yet half the world is in it all the same” (206). This displays the idiocy of nationalism as it assumes that a country and its people are a single entity; it requires that the citizens place the interests of the country over their own or another country.
The devastating effects of nationalism in All Quiet on the Western Front appear in many small moments throughout the story. When Müller dies, his first thought is about his boots - not his country or its glory. Tjaden cares more about getting enough food than fighting for the fatherland. Even Kat, the wisest of them all, says that a Kaiser's uniform would look better in a circus than on a battlefield. These everyday moments show how the soldiers stopped believing in grand patriotic ideas. One of the clearest examples comes when Paul's group has to attack the French trenches. Instead of feeling proud about fighting for Germany, they just feel sorry for the French soldiers who are also stuck in this war because of nationalism. They even share their food with a French soldier once, proving that all the talk about national enemies means nothing when you're actually facing another human being in the trenches. During their guard duty, Paul and his friends often joke about how they should let the generals and politicians fight each other instead of sending young men to die. This shows how the soldiers see through all the nationalist lies that got them into the war.
Looking at how nationalism affects the soldiers in All Quiet on the Western Front, we can see its different effects. When Paul comes back home on leave, he can't even talk to his own family anymore. He sits in his old room but feels like a stranger because the nationalism that sent him to war has changed him so much. His father keeps asking him about his 'glorious' battles, showing how people back home still believe in the same patriotic lies that got Paul and his friends into the war. The author shows this gap between soldiers and civilians when Paul says he belongs more with his fellow soldiers than with his family now. This points to how nationalism doesn't just kill soldiers - it breaks apart families and friendships, too. Even worse, Paul notices how younger kids at home are already being taught the same nationalistic ideas that tricked him, ready to send the next group of students off to die for their country. These parts of the story help us see how nationalism spreads through society like a disease, affecting everyone, from school kids to old men.
It seems that the author is commenting on the issue of nationalism throughout All Quiet on the Western Front. This is shown through three main literary devices: irony through the manipulation of Behm and other students who blindly followed Kantorek into war, imagery through both the loss of individual rights and the humanizing of enemy soldiers, and through dialogue as Paul and his friends discover that political leaders exploit nationalistic ideals for their own gain. Through commenting on the problem of nationalism in society, the author reveals parts of human nature to the audience. He seems to believe that, as a whole, the human race is oblivious, blindly following leaders without questioning what they're told about patriotism and duty. Through exposing this human flaw in All Quiet on the Western Front, the author tries to make people see how dangerous nationalism can be, showing how it turned ordinary students like Paul into what he calls "old folk" who lost their youth to war. His message about nationalism appears especially clear when Paul realizes that the Russian prisoners are just like German peasants, proving that nationalist ideas only create artificial enemies.
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