History Literature / AllQuietOnTheWesternFront

* WhamShot: While eating food found in a recently captured French dugout, Paul and his comrades are alarmed by the sight of rats escaping the dugout and the sound of rumbling outside. Realizing that they are about to face a French counterattack, they rush outside to the trench and man their positions. They are shocked to see not one but an entire wave of French Saint-Chamond tanks slowly advancing out of the fog and onto their positions.

* DrivenToSuicide: Unwilling to live as a cripple, Paul and Kat's maimed comrade Tjaden repeatedly stabs himself in the neck with a fork and bleeds out much to their horror.

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* A 2022 film adaptation, from the work's native Germany this time, languished in [[invoked]]DevelopmentHell since about 2008-2009 until it was picked up by Creator/{{Netflix}}, starring Creator/DanielBruhl, Albrecht Schuch, Sebastian Hülk, Devid Striesow and Edin Hasanovic.

* The 1930 American film directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Creator/LewAyres as Paul. It won the Best Picture [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]] and is often considered to be the TropeMaker of the modern war drama. It is also one of the first really great sound films, made after Hollywood spent a couple of years struggling with the new medium of talkies. It has a place on the UsefulNotes/NationalFilmRegistry. For a (bleaker) German-made counterpart to the film [[invoked]][[DuelingWorks released the same year]], see and compare ''Film/Westfront1918''.
* An American MadeForTVMovie adaptation was made in 1979, starring Creator/RichardThomas, Creator/ErnestBorgnine, Creator/DonaldPleasence and Creator/IanHolm.
* A new film adaptation, from the work's native Germany this time, languished in [[invoked]]DevelopmentHell since about 2008-2009 until it was picked up by Creator/{{Netflix}}, and is due to release in 2022, starring Creator/DanielBruhl, Albrecht Schuch, Sebastian Hülk, Devid Striesow and Edin Hasanovic.

* The 1930 American film directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Creator/LewAyres as Paul. It won the Best Picture [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]] and is often considered to be the TropeMaker of the modern war drama. It is also one of the first really great sound films, made after Hollywood spent a couple of years struggling with the new medium of talkies. It has a place on the UsefulNotes/NationalFilmRegistry. For a (bleaker) German-made counterpart to the film [[DuelingWorks released the same year]], see and compare ''Film/Westfront1918''.

* A new film adaptation, from the work's native Germany this time, languished in DevelopmentHell since about 2008-2009 until it was picked up by Creator/{{Netflix}}, and is due to release in 2022, starring Creator/DanielBruhl, Albrecht Schuch, Sebastian Hülk, Devid Striesow and Edin Hasanovic.

In 1930, an American film adaptation was made, directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Creator/LewAyres as Paul. It won the Best Picture [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]] and is often considered to be the TropeMaker of the modern war drama. It is also one of the first really great sound films, made after Hollywood spent a couple of years struggling with the new medium of talkies. It has a place on the UsefulNotes/NationalFilmRegistry. For a (bleaker) German-made counterpart to the film [[DuelingWorks released the same year]], see and compare ''Film/Westfront1918''.

An American MadeForTVMovie adaptation was made in 1979, starring Creator/RichardThomas, Creator/ErnestBorgnine, Creator/DonaldPleasence and Creator/IanHolm. A new film adaptation, from the work's native Germany this time, languished in DevelopmentHell since about 2008-2009 until it was picked up by Creator/{{Netflix}}, and is due to release in 2022, starring Creator/DanielBruhl, Albrecht Schuch, Sebastian Hülk, Devid Striesow and Edin Hasanovic.

A (still American) MadeForTVMovie adaptation was made in 1979, starring Creator/RichardThomas, Creator/ErnestBorgnine, Creator/DonaldPleasence and Creator/IanHolm. A new film adaptation, from the work's native Germany this time, languished in DevelopmentHell since about 2008-2009 until it was picked up by Creator/{{Netflix}}, and is due to release in 2022, starring Creator/DanielBruhl, Albrecht Schuch, Sebastian Hülk, Devid Striesow and Edin Hasanovic.

A MadeForTVMovie adaptation was made in 1979. A new film adaptation languished in DevelopmentHell since about 2008-2009 until it was picked up by Creator/{{Netflix}}, and is due to release in 2022, starring Creator/DanielBruhl, Albrecht Schuch, Sebastian Hülk, Devid Striesow and Edin Hasanovic.

In 1930, an American film adaptation was made, directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Creator/LewAyres as Paul. It won the Best Picture [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]] and is often considered to be the TropeMaker of the modern war drama. It is also quite possibly the first really great sound film, made after Hollywood spent a couple of years struggling with the new medium of talkies. It has a place on the UsefulNotes/NationalFilmRegistry. For a (bleaker) German-made counterpart to the film made the same year, see and compare ''Film/Westfront1918''.

In 1930, an American film adaptation was made, directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Creator/LewAyres as Paul. It won the Best Picture [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]] and is often considered to be the TropeMaker of the modern war drama. It is also quite possibly the first really great sound film, made after Hollywood spent a couple of years struggling with the new medium of talkies. It has a place on the UsefulNotes/NationalFilmRegistry.

A MadeForTVMovie adaptation was made in 1979. A new film adaptation was in DevelopmentHell since about 2008 until it was picked up by Creator/{{Netflix}}, and is due to release in 2022, starring Creator/DanielBruhl, Albrecht Schuch, Sebastian Hülk, Devid Striesow and Edin Hasanovic.

Remarque had actually written the book back in 1927, but it was first published two years later, due his difficulty in finding a publisher willing to publicize the book due to its controversial content. However; it would turn out to be a best-seller when it was first released. Initial German reaction was mixed, with reactionary Germans furious at this "disrespectful" "cowardly" and "treasonous" look at the German Army. Left-wing intellectuals, as well as many war veterans, on the other hand, praised the book highly, and its international reception was adoring, both for its excellent quality of writing and its stark look at the horrors of war. UsefulNotes/{{Nazi|Germany}}s were less than pleased -- believing the book would "soften" Germany, they added it to their list of proscribed books, and it was one of the first books to be burned publicly in 1933. They also spread several falsehoods about Remarque through propaganda, namely that his "real" last name was Kramer ("Remark" spelled backwards) and that he was from a Jewish background (both these bits of misinformation even made it into a couple of later biographies on Remarque). Remarque fled to Switzerland and later to the United States. In 1943, [[RevengeByProxy his sister was beheaded by the Nazis as a stand-in for him]]. They sent the 500,000RM bill for her imprisonment and execution to him.

->''"This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war."''

Remarque had actually written the book back in 1927, but it was first published two years later, due his difficulty in finding a publisher willing to publicize the book due to its controversial content. However; it would turn out to be a best-seller when it was first released. Initial German reaction was mixed, with reactionary Germans furious at this "disrespectful" "cowardly" and "treasonous" look at the German Army. Left-wing intellectuals, as well as many war veterans, on the other hand, praised the book highly, and its international reception was adoring, both for its excellent quality of writing and its stark look at the horrors of war. UsefulNotes/{{Nazi|Germany}}s were less than pleased -- believing the book would "soften" Germany, they added it to their list of proscribed books, and it was one of the first books to be burned publicly in 1933. They also spread several falsehoods about Remarque through propaganda, namely that his "real" last name was Kramer ("Remark" spelled backwards) and that he was from a Jewish background (both these titbits of misinformation even made it into a couple of later biographies). Remarque fled to Switzerland and later to the United States. In 1943, [[RevengeByProxy his sister was beheaded by the Nazis as a stand-in for him]]. They sent the 500,000RM bill for her imprisonment and execution to him.

The book was a best-seller when it was first released. Initial German reaction was mixed, with reactionary Germans furious at this "disrespectful" "cowardly" and "treasonous" look at the German Army. Left-wing intellectuals, as well as many war veterans, on the other hand, praised the book highly, and its international reception was adoring, both for its excellent quality of writing and its stark look at the horrors of war. UsefulNotes/{{Nazi|Germany}}s were less than pleased--believing the book would "soften" Germany, they added it to their list of proscribed books, and it was one of the first books to be burned publicly in 1933. Remarque fled to Switzerland and later to the United States. In 1943, [[RevengeByProxy his sister was beheaded by the Nazis as a stand-in for him]]. They sent the 500,000RM bill for her imprisonment and execution to him.

The book was a best-seller when it was first released. Initial German reaction was mixed, with reactionary Germans furious at this "disrespectful" "cowardly" and "treasonous" look at the German Army. Left-wing intellectuals, as well as many war veterans, on the other hand, praised the book highly, and its international reception was adoring, both for its excellent quality of writing and its stark look at the horrors of war. UsefulNotes/{{Nazi|Germany}}s were less than pleased--believing the book would "soften" Germany, they added it to their list of proscribed books, and it was one of the first books to be burned publicly in 1933. Remarque fled to Switzerland and later to the United States. In 1943, his sister was beheaded by the Nazis as a stand-in for him. They sent the 500,000RM bill for her imprisonment and execution to him.

* MohsScaleOfViolenceHardness: It gets a 4, primarily for the scene where [[spoiler:the French soldier is vaporized by an exploding artillery shell, with only his severed hands holding onto some barbed wire left]].

The book was a best-seller when it was first released. Initial German reaction was mixed, with reactionary Germans furious at this "disrespectful" "cowardly" and "treasonous" look at the German Army. Left-wing intellectuals, as well as many war veterans, on the other hand, praised the book highly, and its international reception was adoring, both for its excellent quality of writing and its stark look at the horrors of war. UsefulNotes/{{Nazi|Germany}}s were less than pleased--believing the book would "soften" Germany, they added it to their list of proscribed books, and it was burned publicly in 1933. Remarque fled to Switzerland and later to the United States. In 1943, his sister was beheaded by the Nazis as a stand-in for him. They sent the 500,000RM bill for her imprisonment and execution to him.

* PoliticallyMotivatedTeacher: Kantorek, who encourages his students to join the army, greatly romanticizing it as [[WarIsGlorious something glorious]]. [[ForegoneConclusion Of course, he couldn't be farther from the truth.]]

* SurvivorshipBias: Averted. Almost every named character dies by the end. It's justified since the film is based around an anti-war / WarIsHell message.

* WarIsGlorious: Kantorek firmly believed this to be the case, and instilled this mindset in most of his students. Of course, the reality is very different; see below.

* DoesThatSoundLikeFunToYou: When on leave, Paul goes back to his old classroom to see Kantorek using the same speech he told his class on another group of young innocent students. Excited to see one of his former students drop in, Kantorek encourages Paul to tell them how grand being in the front lines are. To his credit, Paul is really uncomfortable and insists he has nothing to say, but caves to his teacher's demands... and flat out tells the students that WarIsHell and [[TakeThat that their teacher is going to send them to their deaths like his class before them]]. Because the students there haven't experienced it for themselves, with virtually all of them still a WideEyedIdealist, they quickly denounce him and criticize him for having such a defeatist attitude.

* {{Conscription}}: ''All'' protagonists are conscripts. [[NotSoDifferent So are the French.]]

* NotSoDifferent: The French soldier that Paul stabs in a crater. At first it was out of pure self-defense, but as the two are stuck in that spot for a few hours and the Frenchman slowly dies, Paul starts to realize this guy wasn't much different than he was, had a family, and like him, was just following orders.

* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: The German characters are played by American actors, who speak with American accents. This, however, is intentional TranslationConvention, in order to show American movie-goers [[NotSoDifferent just how much like us the German protagonists really are]].

* RealityEnsues: Paul and his friends were thrilled and excited to go and fight after listening to Professor Katorik's speech. But they soon realise it was not what they expected as they end up living in terrible conditions on the western front and live in constant terror implying the speech was propaganda.

* WarIsHell: The original title is literally "Nothing New in the West". Now think about what happened, the setting, and ''why'' there's nothing new. Both the book and the film are pretty much the {{Trope Codifier}}s in that they portray trench warfare as not a pretty sight.
* WideEyedIdealist: One MauveShirt character, and practically all of Paul's classmates at first. Then RealityEnsues, and they slowly realize that WarIsHell.

* {{Heroic BSOD}}: Paul has a very memorable one after stabbing the French soldier trapped with him in a crater to death and then listening to him slowly die during the entire sleepless night. [[MustMakeAmends After he examines the dead soldier's personal belongings, he repentantly promises to secretly support his family once the war ends.]] [[TearJerker Then he realizes he can't, because they'd eventually find out who's the mysterious donor and realize he's the one who killed their relative.]]
* HeroicSacrifice / LastStand: Lt. Bertinck is mortally wounded in battle; before he dies, he makes sure to disable the enemy flamethrower with his pistol.

A MadeForTVMovie adaptation was made in 1979. A new film adaptation was in DevelopmentHell since about 2008 until it was picked up by Creator/{{Netflix}}, and is due to release in 2022, starring starring Creator/DanielBruhl, Albrecht Schuch, Sebastian Hülk, Devid Striesow and Edin Hasanovic.

* ShootTheShaggyDog: Paul's whole ordeal in the war and his potential plans to write a book about his experience ends up being AllForNothing as [[spoiler:he is killed at the end of the book, just as the war was winding down and coming to an end]].

* UndignifiedDeath: Many soldiers are killed in this manner, with [[spoiler:Paul's death being most tragic example, as he was killed on the day that is described by the army report in one sentence: "All quiet on the Western Front"]].

An equally good TV adaptation was made in 1979. A new film adaptation was in DevelopmentHell since about 2008 until it was picked up by Creator/{{Netflix}}, and is due to release in 2022, starring starring Creator/DanielBruhl, Albrecht Schuch, Sebastian Hülk, Devid Striesow and Edin Hasanovic.

An equally good TV adaptation was made in 1979, and a new film adaptation is in DevelopmentHell.