All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque | Chapter 10

Professor Bradley Greenburg of Northeastern Illinois University provides an in-depth summary and analysis of Chapter 10 of Erich Maria Remarque's novel All Quiet on the Western Front.


Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front is among the most important entries in the war literature canon. It explores the brutality of 20th century warfare through the eyes of Paul Bäumer, a German infantryman who is part of the offensive against France during World War I.

Rather than open the novel in the midst of battle as in most war epics, All Quiet on the Western Front begins by focusing on soldiers resting and biding their time until their return to the front. Paul is stationed with a few of his friends from school, all of whom enlisted in the war on the advice of their teacher, Kantorek, who insisted that it was a glorious and noble pursuit. The reality, they have realized, is much grimmer, and their day-to-day lives focus mainly on survival and dulling their emotions.

As he watches comrades and enemies alike die in horrific fashion, he meditates on the savagery that surrounds him. During brief periods of respite, he realizes that this experience will have forever changed his generation.

Dodging bullets and firing his own, Bäumer witnesses the mental deterioration of his friends and becomes increasingly nihilistic himself.

Remarked for its unflinching depiction of life as a soldier in an era when technological advancements amplified the human toll of large-scale conflict, the novel has left an indelible impression on generations of readers who may themselves have never experienced the unique terror of life in the line of fire.

German author Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front was first published in 1929. Remarque was an army veteran who served on the Western Front in World War I and was wounded several times. In 1933, the Nazis had the book publicly burned as “degenerate”.

The novel All Quiet on the Western Front contains many powerful themes, including the lost generation, as millions are killed in the war or experience psychological issues returning home; patriotism, as the soldiers question why they are fighting; and modern warfare, as soldiers have to survive chemical and trench warfare. Important symbols include Kemmerich’s boots and butterflies.


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[wn]

My Great grandfather died in the middle of August 1918 in that horrible war. He was wounded two times before, and resent to the front lines once healed The report of his death simply stated. "Died Instantly". He too was shot by a German sniper. He fought for the British in the Canadian Army. He was in the field for almost 3 years. Only to die less than 3 months before the end of that pointless war.