Essay About Paul Baumer And Idea Of Nationalism

All Quiet on the Western Front
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Nationalism can be defined as having a sense of belonging and
loyalty to ones country or nation state. Of all the European nations,
France was the first to sport the idea of nationalism. Many countries
became influenced by the Frenchs ideas of nationali sm, As a result
nationalism had spread throught out Europe by the nineteenth and twenteth
century. One result that nationalisn had on Europe was, the wanting of
unification. The people of nation states wanted their country to belong
to. This wanting lea d to the unfying of Italy and Germany. Soon
nationalism had increased the peoples confidedence., and a feeling of
imperialism ran through the unified countries. Unified countries such as
France, Germany, Russia wanted to extend their empires. But this
Imperialism in Europe led to many conflicts between countries. All this
Conflict eventually resulted in the beginning
of Worls War I
The causes of World War I were the intense nationalism that
dominated Europe throughout the 19th and into the 20th century, and the
establishment of large armies in Europe after 1871. Imperialism created a
rivaly between nations and empires. The build up
of armies and navies created fear between nations. France feared Germany,
Germany feared Russia, Austria-Hungary and Russia rivaled around Bulkans,
Britain feared Germans expanding navy, Slovakia wanted to free Slavian
land from Astria-Hungarys apressi on. Italy was jealous of French and
English colonies in Africa. Ottoman Empire struggled to survive in a
hostile climate. Germany signed a secret alliance with Austria-Hungray and
Italy, thus creating a Triple Alliance. France and Russia signed an
Entente
agreement which was later signed by Britain, thus creating Triple
Entante. Then Europe was divided into hostile camps. During this time
nationalism had caused a golrified view of the war. Thise view showed how
inexpirence the people of Europe were in war far. In Erich Maria
Remarques novel All Quiet on the Western Front, we can see that
eventhough this gorious view contradicted the Germans soildiers
expectations, they still stayed loyal.
In the Begining of the novel we read that Paul Baumer and his
class mates had volunteered to enlist in the war. But they were forced in
to volunteering. Their school master Kantorek had filled their heads up
with views of nationalism which glorified the war. Some students were even
under the pressure of their
parents to enlist. Not enlisting would be like
turning your back on your country. To the teachers and school masters,
going to war was the best thing a man could do for his country. When
Baumer and his friends get to boot camp, they find out all is not what
they expected it to be. In boot camp Baumer and his class mates are taught
to be soildiers. They Find out that everything that was learned in school,
has no meaning in the war. It was also in the
front line , were Baumer and his friends see the contradictions made by
the people at home. Paul and his commrades all expierenced the true
horror of the war in the front. Each one of the class-mates and German
soildiers expirenced death of other soildi ers, the agony of the wounded.
Baumers group also faced hunger, fear, the destructiveness of the new war
technology. these technologies included the use of machine guns, gas,
falme throwers, bomding planes, and the tanks used by the Brittish.
Despite al l these contradictions Baumers group and the German soldiers
seen, they stilled continued to stay loyal to the war .
One reason why the German soldiers continued to fight in the war
was the training they recieved. In All Quiet on the Western Front, Baumer
and his group had one of the strictess drill instructers, Corparol
Himmelstoss. Despite what seemed like abuse, Him mestoss training
actually benifitted the soildiers. Himmelstoss training, made the soldiers
bitter, and their senses were sharpened. They soildiers needed to be
bitter, and more sharp, it they were to survive the war.
The will to survive is another reason why the German soldiers kept
fighting. During an counter attack, Baumer explains that the soldiers
undergo transformation. Baumer says that they become wild beasts in the
field. Baumers says that their
obejective is to to fight, but to defend
themselves against annihilation. The soldiers