In the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque gives the first hand account of Paul Bäumer who enlists in the German Army with his classmates during World War I. World War I was a very transformative event, not just for the nations involved in the war, but for the rest of human history as well. World War I is one of the greatest wars in history as it brought about a whole new way of fighting and warfare. It changed so many aspects of how soldiers fought. Many technological advances came about from this war as well. In his novel, Remarque gives readers first hand experiences of soldiers on the front line during World War I. The book begins with Paul and his friends being relieved from working the front line after being there
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Various new advances included artillery equipped with hydraulic mechanisms, new shells, machine guns, and gas. Artillery equipped with new hydraulic mechanisms meant that they could absorb more recoil and did not have to be repositioned after every shot. The new shells that were shot contained a propellant and timing devices that could be aimed more accurately and rapidly. It was the artillery that killed more people than any other weapon recorded. Tanks were also another advancement in World War I that caused many problems. They had massive rifles on the front of them that mowed down attackers before they could even think about crossing “no mans land”. Tanks were what helped bring about trench warfare as well. Trench warfare is a type of technique which consisted mostly of fighting in trenches where soldiers were protected from small arms and sheltered from artillery explosions. Trench warfare was where opposing armies dug elaborate trench systems that faced each other. They were lined with barbed wire across the top to protect from incoming assault from opposing soldiers on foot. Digging these trenches was hard work for the soldiers. They were elaborate and deep. Even Paul says in response to a friend “It cant be worse than digging trenches”
Various new advances included artillery equipped with hydraulic mechanisms, new shells, machine guns, and gas. Artillery equipped with new hydraulic mechanisms meant that they could absorb more recoil and did not have to be repositioned after every shot. The new shells that were shot contained a propellant and timing devices that could be aimed more accurately and rapidly. It was the artillery that killed more people than any other weapon recorded. Tanks were also another advancement in World War I that caused many problems. They had massive rifles on the front of them that mowed down attackers before they could even think about crossing “no mans land”. Tanks were what helped bring about trench warfare as well. Trench warfare is a type of technique which consisted mostly of fighting in trenches where soldiers were protected from small arms and sheltered from artillery explosions. Trench warfare was where opposing armies dug elaborate trench systems that faced each other. They were lined with barbed wire across the top to protect from incoming assault from opposing soldiers on foot. Digging these trenches was hard work for the soldiers. They were elaborate and deep. Even Paul says in response to a friend “It cant be worse than digging trenches”