ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
By
Erich Maria Remarque
Author information
Like the main character in All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque served as
a German soldier in World War I. Drafted in November 1916 at the age of eighteen, he was sent to
the Western Front in Flanders (now Belgium). There he worked in a support unit behind the lines,
laying barbed wire and building bunkers and dugouts to help fortify gun sites. His work often took
him within range of enemy gunfire. In July 1917 he was wounded while retrieving an injured
soldier during an attack. He was sent to a hospital, where he spent most of the rest of the war
recuperating.
After the war, Remarque finished his education but remained unsettled by his wartime experiences. He
worked briefly as a teacher and at various odd jobs while continuing to write. The financial success of All Quiet
on the Western Front allowed Remarque to quit his job and write full time. He moved to Switzerland in 1931
and then moved to the United States in 1939 where he divided his time between homes in Hollywood, New
York City, Switzerland, and several European cities. After years of heart problems, Remarque suffered a fatal
heart attack in Switzerland in 1970.
Historical Context
The subject of All Quiet on the Western Front is the worldwide conflict of 1914-1918, then called the Great
War. World War I, as we refer to it today, was a shockingly intense conflict that not only transformed the
political landscape of Europe but also changed forever the values and perceptions of civilized Western society.
In the years before the war’s outbreak, the major countries of Europe had formed alliances that divided the
continent into two hostile camps. On one side were the Central Powers (Germany, Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary);
on the other were the Allies (France, Great Britain, Russia and others). The assassination of Archduke
Ferdinand of Austria sparked a series of threats and counter threats that drew the two alliances into war.
Germany, the leading military and industrial power in Europe, quickly embarked on a war of expansion that
called for fighting on two fronts. The Germans first planned to launch a massive offensive against France
thinking that it would be completed in six weeks, allowing them to turn eastward and then invade Russia on the
second front.
The German forces were halted just outside of Paris and their plan for a quick victory unraveled. Newly
developed weapons of war such as modern cannons and machine guns with tremendous firepower, quickly
disbanded the traditional, organized attacks. Soldiers had to burrow into the ground for shelter. By 1915, a
strategy called position warfare developed where both sides dug a series of trenches that ran all the way from
the Belgian coast to the Swiss border. From the trenches, a stationary war of defense rather than a war of
movement and offense was fought. The war became a stalemate as each side tried to wear down the other.
Countless frontal attacks were ordered where the men were told to go over the top of the trenches that were
costly in terms of human lives and with gains measured only in yards.
The war had far-reaching political and social consequences breaking up the great empires and leaving Europe
unstable. The war brought more deaths (8.5 million) and casualties (21 million) than any war in the previous
100 years.
The war also had psychological effects on those that survived. Many young people developed a pessimistic
outlook on life and society after the war. The traditional social values that had led to the war—honor, duty,
glory, and discipline—seemed hollow and many survivors blamed the older generation for permitting the war’s
wasteful destruction. They felt the older order was morally corrupt, and no new order had risen to provide a
sense of hope and stability.
Did You Know?
The daily scenes encountered by soldiers at the front were nightmarish. In the trenches, men fought and lived
among the dead—and pieces of the dead, for the new weapons of war could shatter human bodies. Corpses were
also strewn across the narrow stretch of ground known as “No Man’s Land,” which separated enemy trenches
that faced each other. The sights, sounds, and smell of death were everywhere. Because conditions in the front
line were so horrific, soldiers generally were not placed there for more than a week at a time. They were sent
from the front line to a support trench, then farther back to a reserve trench, and then to a quiet base camp at the
rear for rest.
Trenches, typically about ten feet deep, were built in zigzags. This pattern limited the destruction caused by
bursting shells and protected soldiers from gunfire if the enemy entered the trench. Short lengths of trenches
jutted into No Man’s Land to allow better listening and observation of the enemy. In addition, narrower
communication trenches, used to bring up supplies, troops and orders, connected the main trenches from front
to rear.
Soldiers in the front line were not always under attack. Days in the trenches tended to be boring, although the
danger of sniper fire and random artillery shelling always lurked. In the daytime, the men cleaned their rifles
and wrote letters. Most work was done at night when the men could move about more safely. Creeping on their
bellies, soldiers ventured out into No Man’s Land to string barbed wire, scout enemy positions, or rescue the
wounded. Much time was also spent repairing trenches damaged by shellfire, raids, or rain. As one veteran
recalled, “The men slept in mud, washed in mud, ate mud, and dreamed mud” (The McGraw-Hill Companies).
Background Information——Before Reading Activity
You will research historical information to find the answers to gain a more in depth understanding of the events
in the book.
1. What event sparked World War I?
2. What countries were the first to declare war?
3. What country was fighting on two fronts and what were the countries they were fighting against?
4. How many nations were involved in WWI?
5. Those nations divided into what two groups?
6. Name two countries in each of the above groups and state which group those countries belonged to.
7. Who takes control of the Russian troops in September of 1915?
8. What was the longest battle in the war and how many casualties were there?
9. New weapons were being used in WWI. What are they and how did they change the face of war?
10. What self-avowed holy man was killed by the Tsar’s family?
11. What caused the U.S. to become involved in the war?
12. What was the treaty of Versailles?
Did You Know?
Soldiers in the trenches could distinguish the different kinds of shells being fired by the sounds they made in the
air. In World War I, artillery—or cannon-like weapons—were used in far greater numbers than ever before.
These long-range and close-range guns fired large missile-shaped shells of different types. Of these, shrapnel
shells were especially deadly because they contained a large powder charge and hundreds of sharp metal bits.
When the charge exploded over enemy trenches, the deadly projectiles flew through the air making a singing
sound. Large shells nicknamed “Jack Johnsons,” after a famous heavyweight fighter of the day, made a highpitched whistle. The “whiz bang,” a lighter shell, buzzed briefly just before it arrived at its target (The McGrawHill Companies).
All Quiet on the Western Front
By Erich
Maria Remarque
CHAPTER 1
1. At the opening of the novel, what windfall do the soldiers enjoy? What is the reason for this windfall?
2. Who is Ginger? Why do the soldiers not feel kindly towards him?
3. Who was Joseph Behm, and what happened to him?
4. Who are Kantorek and Himmelstoss? According to Paul, what do the two have in common?
5. How does Paul persuade the orderly to give Kemmerich a dose of morphia for his pain?
6. How does Kantorek describe the young men in his letter to Kropp? What is Paul’s reaction to this
description?
7. When Paul describes his friends, he says that Albert Kropp was “the clearest thinker among us and therefore
only a lance-corporal.” What does this statement imply about Paul’s opinion of the army chain of command?
8. What contrast does Paul stress between the young men of his own generation and their elders, who
represented “authority”?
CHAPTER 2
9. What kind of writing does Paul remember that he did before the war?
10. How does Paul defend Muller’s wish to have Kemmerich’s boots?
11. What kind of reputation does Himmelstoss have in the camp? What “accident” angers him and causes him
to threaten Paul and Albert Kropp?
12. According to Paul, what is the single finest thing that arose out of the war?
13. Why does the doctor refuse to come to Kemmerich’s bedside?
14. Paul says that he and the other young men of his generation have become a “waste land.” What has led him
to this bleak conclusion?
15. How does Paul’s behavior at the hospital with Kemmerich contribute to Paul’s characterization?
CHAPTER 3
16. According to Kat, what should the young recruit bring next time to trade for a special portion of food?
17. Why do Paul and the others admire Kat? What was Kat’s “masterpiece,” according to Paul?
18. How does Kropp suggest that the war should really be fought?
19. How did Himmelstoss try to cure Tjaden of wetting his bed?
20. On the night before they left for the front, how did Kropp, Tjaden, Haie Westhus, and Paul finally get their
revenge on Himmelstoss?
21. When they argue about the war, Kat and Kropp bet a bottle of beer on the outcome of an air-fight that is
going on above them. What does this casual wager imply about the soldiers’ state of mind?
CHAPTER 4
22. On their way to wiring duty, why do Paul and his friends not worry about being thrown out of the trucks and
injured?
23. When Paul sees that the fair-headed recruit’s helmet has fallen off, what does he do with it? After the
bombardment, what misunderstanding occurs about the helmet?
24. What is Detering’s reaction to the cries of the wounded horses? How does Kat restrain Detering?
25. During the second bombardment, where are Paul and the men forced to take cover?
What is the irony in the object of Paul’s shelter?
26. What happens in the end to the fair-headed recruit?
27. One of the most vivid, memorable episodes in the novel is the description of the wounded horses in this
chapter. How can the horses be regarded as symbolic—that is, as standing both for themselves literally and for
something beyond themselves?
CHAPTER 5
28. What are some of the things the men say they would do if it were suddenly peacetime again?
29. When Himmelstoss appears, what does he order Tjaden to do? When Tjaden refuses to obey, how does
Himmelstoss threaten him?
30. What are three of the useless things the men say then learned in school? According to Paul, what re three
valuable lessons that nobody ever taught them in school?
31. How does Lieutenant Bertinck punish Tjaden and Kropp? What does Paul think of Bertinck and of the
punishment?
32. How do Paul and Kat obtain the goose? With whom do they share the remains of their meal?
33. How does the episode of the goose at the end of the chapter develop the theme of comradeship?
Did You Know?
The Germans were the first to use poison gas on a large scale. At the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915,
German soldiers in a front-line trench released chlorine gas from more than five thousand pressurized cylinders,
timing the release with a westward-blowing wind. Chlorine gas, visible as a greenish-yellow cloud, is a lung
irritant that causes extreme pain in the nose and throat and slow suffocation. Death results if the concentrated
gas is inhaled for more than a few minutes. Many people thought the German’s use of poison gas was barbaric,
but the British and French quickly developed their own gas weapons. The most widely used gas, mustard gas,
was introduced in mid-1917. Odorless and colorless, it burned the skin, eyes, and respiratory tissues. Gas
attacks caused at least one million deaths during the war. After gas masks were developed, few men were killed
by gas. But gas attacks were still used to unsettle the enemy (The McGraw-Hill Companies).
CHAPTER 6
34. How do the men deal with the corpse-rats?
35. According to Paul, why has the bayonet lost its importance was a weapon and actually become a hindrance
for the soldiers?
36. How does a fit of claustrophobia cause one of the recruits to behave?
37. What does Paul say that all his memories of home and peacetime have in common? What emotions do these
memories evoke in him?
38. How does Paul react when he notices Himmelstoss cowering in the dugout?
39. What is the outcome of the battle, in terms of the control of territory and the casualties? In the months form
summer to autumn, what losses has the Second Company sustained?
40. How does Paul feel about his youth? What do you think he means when he says, “We are forlorn like
children and experienced like old men”?
CHAPTER 7
41. At the beginning of Chapter 7, how and why has Paul’s attitude toward Himmelstoss changed?
42. According to Paul, how should a man deal with terror?
43. What presents do Paul and his friends bring the French girls?
44. When he departs for his home leave, who sees Paul off at the train?
45. Who is Mittelstaedt? How has he turned the tables on schoolmaster Kantorek?
46. On his last evening at home, what advice does Paul’s mother give him?
47. What do you think Paul is really looking for when he sits at home in his old room?
How do you think his failure to find it affects him?
CHAPTER 8
48. According to Paul, when is the best time to observe and love Nature?
49. Why does it distress Paul to watch the Russian prisoners?
50. Who brings Paul news about his mother? What is the news?
51. What gifts does Paul make to the Russians? What causes him to think twice about sharing this gift?
Did You Know?
The Allies, as well as the Germans, designed new weapons to try to break the deadlock of trench warfare. The
British thought that tank warfare would be the solution. Tanks could easily roll over barbed wire and cross
trenches up to ten-feet wide, clearing the way for advancing infantry. Tanks were prone to break-downs
however, and often got stuck in the mud. Noisy, cramped, and hot inside, tanks could travel at only six miles
per hour and were stressful for the crew to operate. British tanks were first used in 1916 at the Battle of the
Somme. Looking like “mysterious monsters” that nothing could stop, tanks incited fear in the enemy, but there
were too few of them to make a significant impact. Later in the war, the Allies launched two massive tank
attacks. Both attacks used over three hundred units and were successful in breaking through German lines.
Great Britain deployed almost three thousand heavy tanks between 1916 and 1918, while Germany used only
twenty. Although tanks proved increasingly helpful to the war effort, their full potential would not be realized
until World War II (The McGraw-Hill Companies).
CHAPTER 9
52. What is the men’s reaction to the inspection by the Kaiser?
53. What is the nature of the debate that takes place between Tjaden and the other shortly after the Kaiser’s
visit?
54. What does Paul do when a French soldier falls into his shell-hole?
55. How do Kat and Albert react when Paul tells them of his experience in the shell-hole?
56. How do you interpret the comment “After all, war is war.”
57. Who is Sergeant Oellrich? How is Oellrich trying to earn “a little colored bird for his buttonhole” by
nightfall?
58. Now that his leave is over, how do Paul’s feelings for his comrades seem to have changed? How are these
feelings related to Paul’s attitude toward patrol duty?
CHAPTER 10
59. What “good job” do the soldiers have in this chapter? List some of the ways they enjoy themselves?
60. What happens to Albert and Paul after they evacuate the village? How does Paul help Albert?
61. How does Paul insure that he and Albert can stay together?
62. How do the men react to the sisters’ praying at the Catholic infirmary?
63. Why is Lewandowski nervous and excited? How do the men help him out?
64. Why do you think Paul finds his second home leave even worse than his first?
CHAPTERS 11-12
65. How does Detering react to the sight of the cherry tree? How does Paul explain Detering’s reaction?
66. What was Berger’s “front-line madness,” and what was the result of it?
67. Who gets Kemmerich’s boots after Muller dies? Who will get them next?
68. From what Paul says about Kemmerich’s boots, how might Remarque intend the boots to be symbolic?
What might they symbolize?
69. How does Paul react to Kat’s death?
70. What do we learn about the title of the novel at the very end?
71. Did you expect the novel to end the way it did—why or why not?
72. Discuss the possible statements that Remarque might have been making by the ironic way he kills off the
characters of Kat and Paul—veteran soldiers who survive many terrible fights but end up dying anyway when
they aren’t in battle.
73. All Quiet on the Western Front paints a picture of war that is full of terrifying, grotesque details in an
attempt to persuade readers of the horrors of battle. Portrayals of war in other books, as well as in films and on
TV, often ignore the more painful side of battle to glorify fighting. What are the ethical concerns of these ways
of portraying fighting a war?
74. Hitler banned All Quiet on the Western Front at the beginning of World War II and had copies of the novel
burned. Although it is easy to condemn his acts of censorship, this may not always be the case. Is there ever
justification for censorship of antiwar material?
75. World War I was known as a “total war” because it involved the efforts of many civilians in addition to the
military. Today, however, warfare can be drastically different. How would All Quiet on the Western Front be
different if it were told from the perspective of a modern-day American soldier during the War in Iraq? What
events would be different? What ideas and issues might change?
76. Analyze whether there are heroes presented in All Quiet on the Western Front. What is the nature of their
heroism?
77. Are there any villains in the novel? What makes them villainous?
Themes—As with many works of literature, there can be several themes that are apparent throughout the piece.
The same is true with All Quiet on the Western Front. Listed below are three themes in the novel. Explain how
each is demonstrated throughout the book.
Themes
78. The brutality of war—
79. Unity among soldiers (comradeship)—
80. Psychology of a soldier (effect of war/ability to survive) -
81. One motif that was apparent in the novel was Nationalism or the pressure of patriotic idealism. Give an
example of how this was shown in the novel.