Many short term benefits are accompanied with the hardships of war; however, the long-term consequences outweigh them by a landslide. Gandhi once commented, "I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary, the evil it does is permanent." The quote describes how even though violence appears to be a viable solution, the benefits are only temporary and will only promote further mayhem. World War I was an international war centered in Europe that began on July 28, 1914 and ended on November 11, 1918. The war was fought between two rival alliances: the Allies (France, United Kingdom, Russian empire) against the Central Powers (Germany and Austria-Hungary). The war was stretched to four years and ended in 1918 when countries of the Central Powers signed armistice agreements. The novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque describes the experiences of German soldier Paul Baumer and his comrades during the war. The novel illustrates the soldiers' physical and psychological effects during the war, and how they are unable to re-attach to ordinary civilian lifestyle once they return home from the front. When looking closely at the events of World War I, it becomes clear that the soldiers support Gandhi's argument about violence. Prior to the war, soldiers and countries believed that entering the war was a good idea based on nationalism through propaganda and peer pressure, but both in the short and long term, the actual consequences include not only the loss of innocence of the soldiers but also the catalyst that propelled the nations into the World War II. .
There were many reasons governments and individuals viewed participation in WWI as necessary, and two of the most significant of these reasons include propaganda and peer pressure. Propaganda played a large factor in the recruitment of young men to join the war. Different methods of propaganda were used to inspire the younger generation to serve their country.
