Wwi : An International Conflict Between The Central Powers And The Allies

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WWI DBQ Essay WWI was an international conflict between the Central Powers and the Allies that lasted four years.The Central Powers consisted of the Ottoman Empire, Germany, and Austria-Hungary and the Allies consisted of Great Britain, France, Russia, and the United States. WWI was a traumatic event for soldiers involved, transformed societies, and the world. For something to be transformative, there must be a change from its original state. This relates to All Quiet on the Western Front (AQWF), by Erich Maria Remarque because the novel tells the story of a German soldier, named Paul Baumer, who naively enlists in the military after being recruited by his literature teacher. Throughout the novel, Paul endures the traumatic realities of…show more content…
I find I do not belong here anymore, it is a foreign world” (Document A). In other words, Paul is saying that the war has ruined him and he doesn’t understand the “real” world outside of war anymore. The word “crushed” has a negative connotation that refers to his mentality. It is clearly being used to describe how the war has distorted Paul’s mindset. Although Paul has lived in his hometown for many years, he still says that he does not belong there anymore because it is foreign to him, which leaves him feeling ostracized. By saying his hometown is “foreign” to him, it conveys that Paul does not understand the people in his town, such as how they can live so carefree and have such trivial worries when there’s a war going on. This is is significant because it shows the transformation of Paul’s mentality over the course of a year. A year ago, Paul still understood the people in his hometown. However, now that he has experienced death and bloodshed, he no longer fathoms the futile problems of regular civilians. It can be assumed that other soldiers also suffered this “homesickness” for war and lost their desire to be home. The war is what is now native to the soldiers and their comrades are now their family, which is why soldiers feel lost and misunderstood when they return home. This lack of understanding toward the soldiers is also shown in history when WWI created the Lost Generation. The Lost Generation refers to men who died, suffered casualties, or have
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