Although Vera Brittain’s Testament of Youth and Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front both show how World War I essentially broke the bodies and hearts of a generation, Remarque’s book was more direct, taking readers straight into battle. Although Paul and his friends could not have avoided going to war, it’s sad to realize men such as their schoolmaster, Kantorek, pressured them to volunteer: “There were thousands of Kantoreks, all of whom were convinced that they were acting for the best — in a way that cost them nothing” (12). Paul addresses this sense of abandonment early in the book, discussing how he and his friends trusted their elders, assuming their authority would provide “a greater insight and a more humane wisdom.” Paul’s generation was left “terribly alone” because its elders could not relate: “While they continued to write and talk, we saw the wounded and dying” (13). This reminds me of Vera’s parents in Testament of Youth when they chose to talk about the price of groceries while Vera struggled to come to terms with her brother’s death.

A few details from the book that I found interesting were the use of horses on the front lines as well as messenger dogs. I notice the photo of horses here on the blog of horses with gas masks. I googled "messenger dogs WWI" and found some pretty incredible photos of brave dogs at work – some even wearing what appears to be special canine gas masks. I remember reading about some of the hero horses of World War I in old copies of Horse Illustrated magazine. I read tales of how these steeds survived incredible battles and were honored for their work, but I never thought much of it till now. Sure, we can picture horses in more primitive battles such as the Civil War when men rode into packs of soldiers on horseback, but horses were used in a different way once more modern warfare techniques were introduced. Both dogs and horses are close to my heart, so it's disheartening to see photos and imagine how they suffered right along with their soldiers. After war, I'm sure most were in such terrible shape they were slaughtered for food as war rations were depleted.

Remarque’s depiction of World War I is a glimpse into the conditions and logistics of the German army. However, I did not realize Paul and his friends were fighting for the Central Powers until later in the book. It’s a startling reminder that all soldiers suffered the same on both sides of the wire. Confused and hopeless, every soldier who fought in World War I was ruined by “the first bomb, the first explosion” (88) and lost the spirit to strive for life and progress. It's startling to think about some of the things Paul, and all soldiers for that matter, endured daily in camp such as lice and rats. He also addresses how even if soldiers survived injuries long enough to make it to the hospital, they were often treated like science experiments and operated on by questionable doctors. How common was this? Were these suspicious procedures reported among physicians for both the Central Powers and the Allied Forces? Are there surgeries performed today that were introduced in World War I?