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If there is one book I would recommend that everyone reads, it is Erich Marie Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front.

This is the book we will be analyzing for this lesson. Considered the "greatest war novel of all time," it tells the story of a young German soldier swept up in the riptide of nationalism and military fanaticism during the First World War.

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Everyone is familiar with Crash Course... here's a quick video on the history of the conflict!

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Archdukes, Cynicism, and World War I: Crash Course World History #36

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All Quiet on the Western Front, though fiction, was heavily inspired by Remarque's experiences as a soldier during the First World War.

The novel follows Paul Baumer, a man just at the cusp of adulthood, and his group of friends through their experiences on the front lines. Paul starts off incredibly optimistic and excited about the adventure, but his feelings about the war quickly sour as he experiences it firsthand. Nothing about those resentments is fictitious. Many who fought in the First World War shared those feelings.

As you read All Quiet on the Western Front, you may pick up one central theme: the novel is anti-war.

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WWI American propaganda poster. Typically, these posters encouraged enlistment, buying and selling of war bonds, rationing, etc.

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Militarism, propaganda, and nationalism were just some of the driving forces behind the catastrophic event that would become the First World War. For example, propaganda made the war the opposite of what it truly was. Young men went into battle expecting glory and adventure. They were met with horrors that would scar them for life.

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Some questions to consider in your thoughts:

1) What do you think the causes of WWI were?

2) How did propaganda affect the general population's view on the war? How did they feel once they saw the reality?

3) What were the key themes of AQOTWF?

4) What reasons did Remarque give for the cause of WWI?

5) After experiencing the war, how did Paul view it? Was his view the same or different?

6) What context does this novel give to the conflict?

6) Anything else you feel is noteworthy?

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Definitions:

Militarism: The belief that one must have a strong military capable of conflict or pursuing national interests at any given moment. Many countries in Europe-- such as Germany, Great Britain, France, and Russia-- engaged in an arms race during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Mass improvements to military technology were made over a very short period.

Propaganda: Media intended to manipulate public opinion. It can also be used to stimulate patriotism.

Nationalism: Patriotism that is intense and instills a deep loyalty to one's nation. The interests of the nation become more important than the interests of the people.