All Quiet On The Western Front - 1395 Words

Mahatma Gandhi, a renowned political and spiritual leader, once said that, â€Å"I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary, the evil it does is permanent.† Presume you see two men in a heated argument and one of them is about to attack the other, you take a rock and throw it at him and knock him out. On one hand it is a good thing that you prevented the attack but on the other hand you used violence yourself, and there is no doubt that you would not hesitate to use it again. The good that came from the violence that you used lasted for a short time, but the punishment that you get for doing this lasts for a long time. Imperialism of rivalries and nationalism were two of the main reasons that most†¦show more content†¦Everyone wanted their country to be independent and superior. France was the first to come up with the idea of nationalism and spread it to other parts of Europe. Nationalism, also known as devotion or collaborati on of different people to form an independent nation of their own. In the first chapter of the novel we read that Paul Baumer and his friends volunteer, or rather forced to enlist in the war by their parents and teacher, Mr.Kantorek, Paul recalls that teachers always carry their feelings ready in their waistcoat pockets, and trot them out by the hour (Remarque 1. 15). During school lessons, teachers would fill up the students minds with the opinions of nationalism and how it affects our country. Despite the persuasion at school, students were pressured at home as well, one’s parents’ were also prepared with the word â€Å"coward†. Not all soldiers â€Å"volunteered† in the war, most were rather persuaded or forced. Although all the countries and its people have the same intention, they are fighting against each other It s queer, when one thinks about it, goes on Kropp, we are here to protect our fatherland. And the French are over there to protect their fatherland. Now who s in the right? (Remarque 9. 35) Countries had the