All Quiet on the Western Front

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 French's 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 German's expanding navy, Slovakia wanted to free Slavian

land from Astria-Hungary's 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

Remarque's 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