The War Fought At The Emotional Front
The name World War I echoes the major loss of life and destruction that was faced by various countries including Serbia, Austria-Hungary, Britain, France, Russia, Italy, United States, Germany, Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. Most historians agree that the war was started due to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in 1914, although there are signs that show otherwise. Safely tucked away are the personal struggles faced by various individuals who fought for their nations. All Quiet On The Western Front is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran. that focuses on the struggles of individuals during and after the war through characters such as 19 year old Paul Bäumer, the …show more content…
These youth are the future of the country whose emotional scars will not just affect them but also the people that depend on them. For example, in the book All Quiet On The Western Front, the boys’ schoolmaster, Kantorek, writes to the boys calling them the “Iron Youth”. To which Paul responds “ Youth! We are none of us more than twenty years old. But young? Youth? That is long ago. We are old folk”(Remarque 20). The connotations of “iron” and “youth” are seemingly contradictory because the word ¨iron”relays an image that is strong and structured, while ¨youth is a period of time that is carefree and innocent. Remarque uses these words to convey the meaning behind a hidden burden that lies on the youth of a nation that pressures young men to grow up and act strong even if they are not emotionally prepared as seen through the boys’ response. Also, in “Suicide In The Trenches”, a poem depicting the suicide of a young soldier who crumbles due to emotional distress, the narrator mocks the people that praise soldiers and says “sneak home and pray you’ll never know the hell where youth and laughter go(Sassoon) ”. This line emphasizes the message that youth and laughter are sacrificed by young men to go to war. Due to the suppression of emotion that is expected from young soldiers who should actually be laughing and playing, war takes a toll of them which …show more content…
For example, in the Treaty Of Versailles, Germany was made to pay $400 billion (when adjusted for inflation) as reparations (Robison). Given that Germany’s participation in the war had significantly lowered their resources, these reparations forced Germany into debt. Additionally, the allied powers who made Germany pay, viewed the reparations as Germany’s way of accepting the blame and not as an economic drain on the German population. Likewise, The Treaty Of Versailles limited the German military forces which the nation had built using a significant amount of money. It should also be noted that Germany was highly advanced in terms of weaponry and arms(Robison). By limiting the German military, not only did Germany lose a major economic asset but the country also lost a major source of pride in the form of advanced technology. This pride helped keep the country together during the war and was used to motivate individuals to join the war. This limitation in turn, led to resentment and unrest that not only created distrust between the European nations but also led to conflict in Germany. The most devastating consequence of this conflict came in the form of World War II. All in all, the decisions regarding the Treaty of Versailles led to consequences that impacted history in unexpected
The name World War I echoes the major loss of life and destruction that was faced by various countries including Serbia, Austria-Hungary, Britain, France, Russia, Italy, United States, Germany, Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. Most historians agree that the war was started due to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in 1914, although there are signs that show otherwise. Safely tucked away are the personal struggles faced by various individuals who fought for their nations. All Quiet On The Western Front is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran. that focuses on the struggles of individuals during and after the war through characters such as 19 year old Paul Bäumer, the …show more content…
These youth are the future of the country whose emotional scars will not just affect them but also the people that depend on them. For example, in the book All Quiet On The Western Front, the boys’ schoolmaster, Kantorek, writes to the boys calling them the “Iron Youth”. To which Paul responds “ Youth! We are none of us more than twenty years old. But young? Youth? That is long ago. We are old folk”(Remarque 20). The connotations of “iron” and “youth” are seemingly contradictory because the word ¨iron”relays an image that is strong and structured, while ¨youth is a period of time that is carefree and innocent. Remarque uses these words to convey the meaning behind a hidden burden that lies on the youth of a nation that pressures young men to grow up and act strong even if they are not emotionally prepared as seen through the boys’ response. Also, in “Suicide In The Trenches”, a poem depicting the suicide of a young soldier who crumbles due to emotional distress, the narrator mocks the people that praise soldiers and says “sneak home and pray you’ll never know the hell where youth and laughter go(Sassoon) ”. This line emphasizes the message that youth and laughter are sacrificed by young men to go to war. Due to the suppression of emotion that is expected from young soldiers who should actually be laughing and playing, war takes a toll of them which …show more content…
For example, in the Treaty Of Versailles, Germany was made to pay $400 billion (when adjusted for inflation) as reparations (Robison). Given that Germany’s participation in the war had significantly lowered their resources, these reparations forced Germany into debt. Additionally, the allied powers who made Germany pay, viewed the reparations as Germany’s way of accepting the blame and not as an economic drain on the German population. Likewise, The Treaty Of Versailles limited the German military forces which the nation had built using a significant amount of money. It should also be noted that Germany was highly advanced in terms of weaponry and arms(Robison). By limiting the German military, not only did Germany lose a major economic asset but the country also lost a major source of pride in the form of advanced technology. This pride helped keep the country together during the war and was used to motivate individuals to join the war. This limitation in turn, led to resentment and unrest that not only created distrust between the European nations but also led to conflict in Germany. The most devastating consequence of this conflict came in the form of World War II. All in all, the decisions regarding the Treaty of Versailles led to consequences that impacted history in unexpected