World War I caused devastation for millions of people around the world and was one of the most brutal wars ever seen in history. All Quiet on the Western Front, an account of the atrocities of World War I by Erich Maria Remarque, shows the trials and tribulations faced by soldiers every day. Just like today, war was glorified and many young men, including naive 19-year-old German Paul Bauman, around the world joined the army, only to later discover what a terrible mistake it had been. After watching the senseless killing of millions of people, the human race wonders whether war is really the logical way to solve the problems plaguing war today. What led to the killing of over a million young men during World War I? What results has the killing of thousands of innocent civilians in Afghanistan achieved so far? The answer is, unfortunately, nothing. Throughout human history, war has rarely been able to solve a problem, so it would make sense to try a different technique to resolve disagreements. Yet, whatever the reason, the human race continues to repeatedly dive headlong into wars. The First World War was a particularly brutal war and one of the costliest in history in terms of human lives. Very few soldiers at the front managed to survive and Paul Bauman was no different. In All Quiet on the Western Front by Remarque, Paul's fate of death is decided from the beginning due to physical and mental dangers. The physical dangers of war meant that it was nearly impossible for soldiers to emerge from the war alive. The battlefield was full of dangers and the jaws of death lurked around the corner for many soldiers. Which made it almost certain that Paul... middle of paper... was the victim of one of the physical dangers of war. The mental beating Paul was destined to take meant he was doomed. What Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front really teaches humans is to be more careful before actually going to war, as for many people it is a death sentence. It also teaches us to be more sensitive towards those returning from war, as they have undoubtedly suffered from both physical and mental distress. One in five American veterans suffer from depression, and it is society's responsibility to try to understand the hardships soldiers have endured. Hopefully the human race will soon realize that war is not the answer, but until then everyone will have to try to reintegrate the soldiers into society. Whether it's shrapnel from a bomb or depression, it's clear that many soldiers have been weakened in one way or another by the war, if not killed..