WW1
In The Great War, men from the allied forces and the enemies fought together as what would be known as one of the bloodiest battles in history. The central powers of Europe fought to obtain power, though in the end, their efforts were fruitless, and though much was lost, not much was gained. Millions of soldiers and civilians alike were killed, and with no one great end-result for any of the central powers, it goes to show the uselessness of war. It is unmistakable to see these facts after reading All Quiet On the Western Front, a novel labeling the horrors of WW1 for what they are. The book is of a young soldiers experience in the trenches, and the indignities he suffered for the illusion of glory in battle. Overall, what can be said about the dismay, the terror that is evident in not just this war, but any war; what should be said is that it is immoral in its entirety, not just because of the changes it brings to average men, but also the death that will always follow close on their heels.
In any war, some men will, and must have power over others, and it is this power that brings control and organization to the event of things. But, as it is often said, with power comes responsibility, but this responsibility can be too great for some men, and eventually, they are bound to give in to the allure of their own corruption. “The army is based on that; one man must always have power over another. The mischief is merely that each one has too much power. A non-com can torment a private, a lieutenant a non-com, a captain a lieutenant, until he goes mad. And because they know they can, they all soon acquire the habit more or less.” (AQWF) In this case, Himmelstoss, a man of fair enough power, grows on the opportunity to enforce his will on those lesser than him. The protagonist sees it as inevitable for him to torment others, as it would be for any man like him who has acquired power. In one incident, to punish and attempt to “fix” a bed wetter named Tjaden, the private
In any war, some men will, and must have power over others, and it is this power that brings control and organization to the event of things. But, as it is often said, with power comes responsibility, but this responsibility can be too great for some men, and eventually, they are bound to give in to the allure of their own corruption. “The army is based on that; one man must always have power over another. The mischief is merely that each one has too much power. A non-com can torment a private, a lieutenant a non-com, a captain a lieutenant, until he goes mad. And because they know they can, they all soon acquire the habit more or less.” (AQWF) In this case, Himmelstoss, a man of fair enough power, grows on the opportunity to enforce his will on those lesser than him. The protagonist sees it as inevitable for him to torment others, as it would be for any man like him who has acquired power. In one incident, to punish and attempt to “fix” a bed wetter named Tjaden, the private