AQWF:
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From the POV of a young German in WW1
Chapter 1:
o Begins with Paul Baumer, the narrator, and his friends, resting after being on the
front lines. They came back from a brutal stretch, reducing their men from 150 to 80
o Paul’s group is Tjaden, Muller, Kropp and Katczinsky
o Discussions of food situation and unfairness of the war, reminiscing of their school
days and how their teacher persuaded them to enlist
Chapter 2:
o Paul reflects on how the war changed them, he and his friends were just out of
school when they enlisted, the war has stolen their youth
o This chapter delves into how they were trained and abused by their drill sergeant,
Himmelstoss, and how this tough training helped them later in war
Chapter 3:
o Soldiers are back at the front, they discuss the nature of the war and incompetence
of their leaders
o Himmelstoss arrives, their soldiers get their revenge on him for his cruelty
o There is a bombardment, soldiers have to defend their position
Chapter 4:
o Paul and his friends are sent to lay barbed wire at the front, they face heavy artillery
fire and are forced to take cover in a graveyard, where bombs explode and unearth
corpses
o They return to the camp, shaken
Chapter 5:
o Delves into the soldier’s personal lives and backgrounds, we learn more about their
pre-war lives and their dreams
o The soldiers discuss their futures and the challenges they’ll face after the war, given
that they’ve known nothing but combat
Chapter 6:
o Company is at the front again, facing a major offensive. Suffer heavy casualties
o They engage in hand to hand combat, Paul kills a French soldier which causes him a
lot of distress
Chapter 7:
o Paul get’s short leave and visits his home, he feels disconnected from his family and
pre-war life
o He visits Kemmerich’s mother and lies to her about her son’s death to spare her
feelings
Chapter 8:
o Paul is sent to a training camp near a beautiful pond. He enjoys a brief respite from
thw war.
o He meets Russian prisoners of war and reflects on the senselessness of the conflict,
realizing that enemy soldiers are just like him
Chapter 9:
o Paul returns to the front, he and his comrades are stationed in a village where they
have relative comfort
o They raid a supply depot and enjoy a feast. Paul and Kat kill a goose and cook it
secretly
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Chapter 10:
o Paul, Tjaden, Muller and Kropp are wounded. Paul is sent to a catholic hospital
where he undergous surgery and witnesses the suffering of other soldiers
o Muller dies from his injuries, Kropp’s leg is amputated
Chapter 11:
o Paul is the last of his group still alive. He reflects on the war’s toll and his loss of
friends.
o The war seems to be calming down but the soldiers know their suffering will
continue
Chapter 12:
o The novel ends in October 1918, Paul is killed on a day described as all quiet on the
western front
o The final paragraph describes his face as calm ‘as though almost glad the end had
come’
It is a raw and unfiltered look at the psychological traumas of war. Anti-war statement and
underscores the futility of conflict and the profound impact it has on those individuals who
experience it.