All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque Erich Maria Remarque's novel, All Quiet on the Western Front provides details and insights into the long and destructive "Great War". Quickly, romantic illusions about combat disintegrate. Enthusiastic teenage boys, convinced to fight for their country by their patriotic teachers, returned feeling part of a lost generation. This novel teaches us what a terrifying and painful experience the First World War was for those who fought in the trenches at the front. German propaganda spread across Germany like wildfire. The glory and excitement of going to war to fight for your country's goals and ideals was the atmosphere created. Everyone wanted to be a hero, and if you didn't want to fight you would be considered a coward,.. “because at that time even parents were ready with the word 'coward'..” (Remarque p. 11). The elders glorified the war by writing and talking about it, expressing that duty to one's country is the greatest thing. The soldiers saw the horrific wounds and dying men and distinguished the fake from the real, realizing that nothing is left of their world. This is how Paul Baumer felt when he was in the Catholic hospital with his friend and companion Albert Kropp. Looking around at all the wounded soldiers he saw what a wasted war it was. Until this war, no one had ever seen such a destructive war, partly because of all the advanced technology, and so none of the world's great powers knew what they were getting themselves into. “Shedding your blood for your country is not difficult, it is wrapped in romantic heroism” (McKay/Hill/Bucker 904) as a volunteer German soldier at the front explains. The fact that the entire German country was patriotic, energetic and united towards the war effort glorified it even more. Who wouldn't want to fight for their country at that moment? “We were still full of vague ideas that gave life, and even war, an ideal and almost romantic character” (Remarque 21). Once these fighters experienced real-life threats such as poisonous gas, rapid machine gun fire, and a constant barrage of explosive shells, they were thrust into a New World of killing or being killed. They are fighting with animal instincts and all the good manners they grew up with vanish.