All Quiet on the Western Front is written by Paul Baumer, a nineteen year old German who fights in the German army on the French front in World War I. Paul and several of his friends from school joined the army voluntarily after listening to the stirring patriotic speeches of their teacher, Kantorek. But after experiencing ten weeks of brutal training from Corporal Himmelstoss. Paul and his friends have realized that the ideals of nationalism and patriotism for which they enlisted are wrong. They no longer believe that war is glorious or honorable, and they live in constant physical terror…
