All Along the Western Front
Death, as a whole, is generally seen as a bad thing. The fearful transition from life to death has given mankind an apprehensive feeling since the beginning of time. Therefore, people usually think of death as a depressing, traumatic, and sorrowful time of grievance. Of course, there are always exceptions. Dying in honor, for instance, suddenly transforms the dead into something more important. A martyr, willing to give his life for something greater than himself, is assured to be remembered as a hero. And in the early part of the twentieth century, to be a hero was every young mans dream. Conveniently, the old men of the same time period had waged war on each other, declaring that true heroism was achieved only by becoming a soldier, and dying for your country. Naturally, this propaganda worked against the feeble minds of the boys, who were thrown into battle with idealistic dreams of honor, nobility, and heroism. Perhaps nothing expressed the feelings of wartime soldiers as well as the 1930 film, All Quiet on the Western Front, where the German troops of WWI discover the realities of war, and the falsehoods of their glorified ambitions. The war gave these boys their first glimpse of death, as they watched their best fr
But if they didn't want the war, and the French and English soldiers they were killing didn't want the war, then who did? This is the paradox of twentieth century warfare. No one is aware of the reasons, politics, or individuals behind our modern "conflicts," people just accept the newest bloodbath as another part of life. Combat must have been much more tolerable when soldiers fought for ideals, like religion during the Crusades, or freedom in the American Revolution. But what motivates modern patriots to live like animals, live in fear for their own lives, and commit murder? Sadly, the answer can still be found in the three traits that have driven mankind since the beginning of time: land, money, and power. Since the industrial revolution was in full swing before the start of WWI, the wealthy business owners of Europe (obviously close friends of the politicians) decided to find out just how much they could produce. So, with the selfish profits of themselves in mind, they created a war, effectively murdering half the population of Europe. This wasn't the first or the last time something like this had happened, but unfortunately for the men fighting, it was the only time that mattered. By the time the boys realized that they had made a mistake, it was already too late. They were knee deep in blood shed, and over their heads in war, confused by their new environment of pain and suffering. Never before had they imagined that the glorious life of a soldier would look like this. Where was the praise and admiration for their heroic actions? After all, the boys had only enlisted to become heroes in the eyes of the people at home, the ones that mattered the most. Instead, they wrestled crumbs of bread away from rats as they cowered in mud holes under ground. They lived in fear of their own deaths, and in shameful acceptance of others. They watched, helplessly, as their comrades were slain one by one, each gruesome death less disturbing than the first, until finally, they felt only numbness. So this was war. In the opening scenes of the film, we see a classroom full of young boys receiving an emotionally persuasive lecture from their teacher. He is asking them to kill themselves. Of course, he conceals his intentions by becoming a master of rhetoric, and at the end of his sermon, the boys agree to the mass suicide, and are even cheering their decisions. This is our first impression of innocence interrupted by power and corruption. These young men, who have dreams and aspirations of their own, are told that in order to be truly happy, they must leave their homes and everything they've ever known, only to risk their lives for the "Good of the Fatherland." When in reality, the boys aren't even sure of the reasons they are fighting. Their min
Some common words found in the essay are:
American Revolution, German Army, Front German, , French English, Hatfield McCoy, didn't war, War Hell, life death, realities war, twentieth century, they'd met, home safe, horrific world, fear own,
Approximate Word count = 1875
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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