The story "All Quiet on the Western Front" centers on a young man named Paul Baumer narrates the story. Paul is of the age of nineteen, when he is convinced to enlist in the German army in the World War I. Paul and several of his friends are encouraged to join the army by their teacher Kantorek, who would never join the army himself.
After enlisting in the army, Paul and his friends trained under a cruel Corporal Himmelstoss, a strictly disciplined commander who dislikes Paul and his friends. He sends them to the front line to face the enemy. Blood and death become a part of their everyday life. Therefore, Paul and his friends had come to the conclusion that the ideals of patriotism taught by their teacher Kantorek, were just flowery words. When Paul and his friends were sent to the front, he made a new friendship with his commander, Stanislaus Katczinsky. Paul believed in "Kat" and in anything he said or done. Kat was resourceful and always finding food, clothing, and blankets for Paul and his young friends.
After being on the front for a while, Paul is given two weeks leave to visit his sick mother. This part of the story was very upsetting to me. I would hate to have to pretend to be strong and actually feel the emotions he was feeling at the time. I"m sure any young man would suffer the same emotion at the end of their leave. After his leave he is sent back to the front. He discovers that his unit has been reassigned to another area. He finds his unit and joins up with them.
Paul and his troops were assigned to defend a village. When the French, who is fighting the Germans, come along they began shelling the village. Paul and Albert Kropp, one of Paul's young friends, were wounded and put on a train to seek treatment for their injuries.
As they were traveling on the train, Kropp become ill with a fever and was schedule to be dropped off at the next stop. Paul wanted to stay with his friend so he convinced the nurse to let him off the train with Kropp.
