Why is All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque considered an anti-war novel?All Quiet on the Western Front is considered to be a powerful...

The novel All Quiet on the Western Front,
by Erich Maria Remarque, is indeed an anti-war novel. Remarque, who was a
soldier during World War I, tells the story of Paul Baumer, a man who is urged to join
the war effort along with his life-long friends. Remarque focuses on every negative
effect of the war on the German soldiers, namely Paul and his acquaintances, during that
time. Remarque focuses on the social ineptness that the soldiers developed during the
conflict. He also talks about the tediousness of war when nothing happens, and yet, the
perennial fear that the men continuously suffer, always expecting a shotgun, or an
explosion to come out of nowhere.

Although the story does
focus on the cons of war, Erich Maria Remarque is clear to point out at the beginning of
the story that he does not condemn the military, nor a country's need to take action
before a conflict. In his own words,

This book is
to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death
is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell
of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by
the war.

Hence, you can safely argue that the
story of Paul Baumer in All Quiet on the Western Front is a
compilation of Remarque's personal experiences as a soldier, and he is clear in that he
does not condemn nor condone anything: He just needs to say how this particular group of
men were negatively impacted by it.