"Jünger's Response to Remarque " Topic

"By Henry G. Gole

Remarque's powerful naturalistic prose in All Quiet has shaped our picture of life in the trenches as no other single book has. The impasse on the Western Front finally proved mass frontal assaults to be a purposeless waste of life. Attacks by hundreds of thousands of men, supported by preparatory fires of millions of artillery rounds, produced tens of thousands of casualties — but not only among the defending force. . .

Ernst Jünger's Storm of Steel (1929) provides us a striking contrast to Remarque's pacifism, but he too is convinced that the front experience permanently separated the front soldier from the others. Jünger was one of the most highly decorated German soldiers of the Great War and one of the most often wounded [14 times]. His combat record was so impressive that he was handpicked to organize and lead elite troops whose mission was to infiltrate enemy front lines using techniques requiring extraordinarily brave and tough men. The infiltration teams, called Sturm (storm) — or Kampfgruppen (assault groups), relied on stealth to penetrate enemy lines, followed by shock action with individual weapons. The idea was to cause confusion and disorganization among defenders that would create openings for exploitation. Jünger led such assault teams and claimed to love it!

After the war Jünger observed the same chaos described by Remarque but came to different conclusions. Passive acceptance of the alienation of the veteran was not in Jünger's nature. He was convinced that a new man was born in the trenches, a man who would lead. Breast-beating and lamentations about unhappy circumstances simply would not do. The decisiveness of the assault team leader, his courage, and leadership, had a new objective — veterans led by such men would reshape the political world…"
Full article here.
link

Amicalement
Armand

I have read both. Both are goods books and I use Junger as evidence to students that some people, very educated and even wise people, may indeed enjoy war.

That said Junger was no Nazi.

Jünger's book is one I wish saw wider circulation and appreciation, because it shows how the men in the trenches were not sheep or victims; they were constantly, actively trying to outwit each other and find an advantage. Excellent book.

Henry Gole saw his own fair share of combat (in later wars in other armies) and is always worth reading.

Never even heard of Junger. I'll search his book out.

Well not everybody was happy to be it. Both Remarque and Junger catch an element of truth.

I read both too and enjoyed them.
Agree with KTravlos.

Amicalement
Armand

I think something that is in Jünger's favor, though, was that he saw action for all four years of the war (besides the time spent recovering from wounds). Remarque was wounded after six weeks and never returned to the front afterwards. So, I would take Jünger's work as being the more informed work, personally.

I wish I hadn't lent Storm of Steel to a coworker. And I really wish I could download it as an ebook for my Kobo!