Erich Remarque Disagrees with Some Prospects of War

Erich Remarque disagrees with some prospects of war, and in All Quiet on the Western Front he disputes these immoral issues through Paul. Towards the end of the novel, when forces become weaker, the German army must look to younger recruits to fight in the war. Paul sees these young boys coming into the war with no idea that any slight mistake can kill them. Similar to this, poet Siegfried Sassoon wrote Dreamers with the same idea. Both Paul and Sassoon agree that the young boys sent into war do not affect the outcome of the war.

As the German defenses become weaker, more reinforcements come to help fight back. Unfortunately, the backups' training does not help them for real war, so they do more damage than good. After one platoon of new enlisted boys comes in, Paul states that "Our fresh troops are anaemic boys" who "merely know how to die" (Remarque 280). Sassoon relates to this melancholy view in his poem when he writes that boys "mocked by hopeless longing… are citizens of deaths gray land" (Sassoon 12, 1). Both writers also agree that these "Soldiers sworn to action" "understand nothing about warfare" (Sassoon 5, Remarque 280). The constant flow of new soldiers, who become less and less experienced as the war wages on, becomes an increasing concern for Paul. He understands the loss of life and how they feel it as their duty to go to war. He would agree with Siegfried Sassoon in his poem because of the hopelessness with which Sassoon addresses the situation.

Remarque utilizes the character of Paul and others in All Quiet on the Western Front to send a message to the public about problems with war. Siegfried Sassoon wrote similarly to call to mind what young and innocents love in life. Paul, through Remarque, and Sassoon share the same message that young people should not fight in wars without proper training, and that they should go to war at a proper age.