Chapter 2 Summary of All Quiet On The Western Front

Partners with Jake Klasons

Chapter 2:

MAIN CHARACTERS:   Himmelstoss, Paul Baumer, Muller, and Kemmerich.

   

MAIN EVENTS:  This chapter sets up the background to how the soldiers view being in the military and the war.  At first the boys were excited to join the military.  As soon as they were three weeks into boot camp, all eagerness and enthusiasm was wiped away.  This is also where Himmelstoss is introduced.  This chapter began describing how mean and cruel he was to his soldiers in training.  It also shows how the younger soldier’s daily lives before the war are just distant memories in the past.  The chapter wraps us with Paul going to visit Kemmerich in the medical ward.  He sits by his bed and tries to convince him that he will have a full recovery from his surgery.  At the end, we find out that Kemmerich does not make it through his leg amputation.  Paul gathered Kemmerich’s things from under his bed and brings Muller Kemmerich’s boots.  Muller had had his eyes set on them since the day Kemmerich was injured. 

All Quiet On The Western Front

               

 

               This book wasn’t like any other book I have previously read.  To me, it was a book of great realism.  Remarque wanted to convey the realism of the war.  Many people like to sugar coat things and make historical events seem not as bad as they actually were; this is why our generation is oblivious to what really went on in the history of our world. 

 

                Right away, it was described that boys had really no choice of going into the army.  If they did not enlist, they were looked down upon and society turned their backs on them.  In the beginning, it was written that the majority of the boys in the military were not much older than 20 years.  Remarque went on to explain that the older men in the army had already had the chance to experience life.  The majority had families and jobs outside of the military.  This was not the case for the young boys.  I believe he included this to show that most of the younger boys in the military never got to actually see was life was really like.  They finished school, enlisted in the army, and eventually their lives were claimed while in the army.  This was a cold hard fact that really grabbed my attention. 

                Another main point that Remarque made very clear was the war wiped away any personality or emotion the boys had; it completely took away their youth.  A quote from page 87 really drove this point across.  “We are not youth any longer.  We don’t want to take the world by storm.  We are fleeing.  We fly from ourselves.  From our life.   We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to shoot it to pieces.”  The war basically ruined any chances of them having a normal youth. 

                While this book was gruesome at parts and sad in others, I enjoyed reading it.  I really liked how Remarque didn’t hold anything back.  I’m a believer in not hiding the truth.  People should be educated on the real events and not hid from what really happened.   I felt this book did just that.

Individual State Research: Bremen, Germany

 

Opening:  The state that I chose to research was Bremen, Germany.  Bremen is special because it is not only a state, it is also a city.  Bremen is a very interesting city/state that is stretched across Lower Saxony.

Overview:  During this presentation the location, economy, history, and tourism will be discussed about Bremen, Germany.

Reasons:  I chose to learn about this state because I did not get to research it when we did the original research of states with our groups.  I also wanted to pick a state that I really hadn’t heard a lot about and a state that I didn’t have any prior knowledge of before researching.

Bremen:

Bremen is the tiniest city/state in northwestern Germany.  Clip:  It is two pieces of land stretched across the Lower Saxony landscape.  End Clip: (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/germany/bremen. 9/14/2011).  The population of Bremen is about 660,000 people.  Clip:  The area of this city/state is about 326.73 km squared, which is about double the size of the District of Columbia.  End Clip:  (http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/area.shtml. 9/14/2011).  

This state is the second highest development center after Hamburg.  It forms part of the production network of Airbus Deutschland.  There is also the Beck & Company’s and St Pauli Girl beers are brewed here.  Clip:  Bremen used to be a major wine importer, but over the years this has really decreased.  Even though they do not import nearly as much wine, they still have the largest wine cellar in the world.  The cellar is located under the city’s main square.  End Clip:  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bremen#Economy. 9/14/2011).  Alongside the brewers, Bremen has a large number of food producing or trading companies located in the state.  These are the German or European headquarters.  Some of these include Kellogg’s, Kraft Foods, and Milka Chocolate.  Another big part of the economy is the port.  Clip:  The port in Bremen is located along the Weser River.  End Clip:  (http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/europe/european-union/germany/bremen/. 9/14/2011).  The Weser River serves as an outlet to the North Sea.  Clip:  Bremen is ranked as having the second highest economy by nominal GDR per capita in Germany.  End Clip:  (http://www.mapzones.org/Bremen.html. 9/14/2011.)

During the beginning of this state, people who were called Chauci lived in this area.  This area was originally called Lower Saxony.  Clip:  By the end of the 3^rd century, these people came together with the Saxons.  During the Saxon Wars the Saxons fought against the West Germanic Franks and lost the war.  After they lost the war, they were under the control of the King of the Franks.  End Clip:  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bremen#History. 9/14/2011).  Soon after the beginning of the Thirty Years’ War, Bremen declared its neutrality.  Many territories in the Lower Saxon Circle decided to do the same. In 1623 the Lower Saxon Circle decided to create and army in order to maintain the neutrality.  Later on, Napoleon invaded Bremen.  This eventually caused the French to withdraw from Bremen.  Between November of 1918 and February of 1919 a Soviet Republic Council existed in this state.  After World War 1, this was overthrown.  Clip:  In 1949 the city/state joined the West German Federal Republic of Germany.  End Clip:  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bremen_(state). 9/14/2011).    

Bremen is a popular destination for tourists.  Due to World War II, there are very few historic building left.  This does not keep people from visiting the wonderful city/state.  One place that is very popular to people is the City of Bremerhaven.  People like to visit the Port of Bremerhaven.  It has a cool temperate climate due to the North Sea.  They also can visit the Museum of Sea Travel.  This is where people can enjoy exploring ships and a submarine.  Another thing that people like to visit is the German Emigration Center.  This center was compared to Ellis Island.  People who visit here get the knowledge of what the emigrants’ experience was during each stage of the process.  The thing that I found to be really interesting was that people get to actually search for their ancestors at this center. 

Bremen is a very interesting city and state.  There is a lot of history and opportunities for people who live and visit this place.  The state is very economically successful and succeeding in many different industries.  I enjoyed researching this and if I ever go to Germany, I would be interested in visiting this city/state.

Assignment 2: German State Research

GROUP MEMBERS:  Danika Leavitt, Kristin Kreuger, Jekabs Klasons

Baden-Wurttemberg:

 

             PEOPLE:  Clip:  Baden-Württemberg is located in the Southwest Germany, at the center of Europe. End clip. (http://www.bw-studyguide.de/home/state/map2/page.html. 9/6/2011).  This is the third largest in both area and population of Germany’s states. This state is a popular destination during the holidays.  This state experiences fluctuations of tourists staying in their state. 

            ECONOMY:  Even though Baden-Wurttemberg lacks natural resources, they are among the wealthiest states in Germany.  In this region, there is low unemployment.  There are many well-known industries in this state.  Some of them are Porsche, Carl Zeiss, and SAP.  Their economy is populated by small and medium-sized enterprises.  The manufacturing industry made more than 240,000 million dollars in 2003.  43% of these came from exports.  The majority of the people working in the manufacturing industry are mechanical and electrical engineers or in automobile construction.  Another popular industry in Baden-Wurttemberg is the textile industry.  This industry has diminished in the areas around the state, but is now only popular in Baden-Wurttemberg. 

CITIES:  Most of the banks of Baden-Wurttemberg share a border with the Neckar River.  The Rhine forms the western border of this state.  The Black Forest is the main mountain range of Baden-Wurttemberg.  This state also shares foothills of the Alps.  Most of the cities fit the needs of tourists.  There are a lot of attractions, biking, skiing, hiking, hotels, festivals, and accommodations.

HISTORY:  Clip:  The area used to be covered by the historical states of Baden, including the former Prussian Hohenzollern, and Württemberg, part of the region of Swabi.  Baden-Wurttemberg was occupied by the Romans in the first century AD who defended their position. Early on in the third century, the Alemanni drove the Romans beyond the Rhine and the Danube, but in their turn they fell to the Franks under Clovis I.  It later became part of the Holy Roman Empire.

           After World War II, Allied forces established three federal states: Württemberg-Hohenzollern, Baden (both occupied by France), and Württemberg-Baden (US-occupied). In 1949, these three states became founding members of the Federal Republic of Germany.  After a referendum held on December 16, 1951, Württemberg-Baden, Württemberg-Hohenzollern and Baden voted in favor of a merger.  Baden-Württemberg officially became a state on April 25, 1952. End clip. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baden-W%C3%BCrttemberg#History. 9/6/2011).

FACTS:  For many years, Baden-Wurttemberg had the lowest crime rate in Germany.  Clip:  Baden-Württemberg is often referred to as a “southern German melting pot”. It is also the most popular German state for Immigrants. End clip.  (http://www.regleg.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52. 9/7/2011).

Hamburg:

 

      
            PEOPLE: Hamburg is located in North-west Germany on the Elbe River.  This city is to over 1.8 million people.  The people who live here try to keep the city atmosphere to remain open, but also remain discreet at the same time.  Many citizens at first seem to be quiet and reserved, but when they get to know whom they are dealing with them tend to open up.  Most people report that they are warm and friendly. 

ECONOMY:  The city has the highest GDP in Germany.  It has a high employment rate with 88% of the working age population, employed in over 120,000 businesses.  The most significant economic source for Hamburg is the Port of Hamburg.  Hamburg ranks 3rd in Europe and 9th in the world.  It ships an average 134 million tons of goods each year.  This is an important location of the civil aerospace industry.  The media business employs over 70,000 people.  There are a few television stations based out of Hamburg.  A couple of stations are the NDR Fernsehen and Bibel TV.  There are also regional radio stations such as Radio Hamburg.  Hamburg was one of the locations for the film Tomorrow Never Dies of the James Bond series and the 1994 Beatles film Backbeat. 

CITIES:   Hamburg is a member of the medieval Hanseatic League.  It is a free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire.  The city is a major tourist destination both for people who live in Germany and out of nation travelers.  This city has many options for people who love art and history.  There are 40 theatres, 60 museums, and 100 music venues and clubs.  This is a huge part of the state’s culture.  Hamburg is also known for several festivals and regular events.  They also have many street festivals and parades. 

HISTORY:  Clip:  In 1842, about a quarter of the inner city was destroyed in the "Great Fire". This fire started on the night of the May 4^th, 1842 and was extinguished on May 8th. It destroyed three churches, the town hall, and many other buildings, killing 51 people and leaving an estimated 20,000 homeless. Reconstruction took more than 40 years.  In the Third Reich, Hamburg was a Gau from 1934 until 1945. During World War II Hamburg suffered a series of British air raids, which devastated much of the inhabited city as well as harbor areas.  The raids, codenamed Operation Gomorrah by the RAF, killed about 40,000 civilians. About 1 million civilians were evacuated in the aftermath of the raids.  At least 42,900 people are thought to have perished in the Neuengamme concentration camp mostly due to epidemics and in the bombing of evacuation vessels at the end of the war.  Hamburg surrendered without a fight to British Forces on May 3^rd, 1945. After World War II, Hamburg was in the British Zone of Occupation and became a state of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949. End clip. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg#History. 9/7/2011).

FACTS:  When I was looking at the history of Hamburg, I found out there was a lot of natural disasters and epidemics.  There was the Black Death, Great Fire, and a cholera outbreak. I also found out that the people who live in Hamburg are known as Hamburgers.     

 Hessen:

           
           PEOPLE:  Clip:  Hessen is situated in west-central Germany.  It borders the German states of Lower Saxony, Thuringia, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia. End Clip. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesse#Geography. 9/7/2011).  Hessen has a population of over six million people.  The people of Hessen value education because higher education stands at the center of the Hessen economy and society.  Many of the younger generations are being taught English as a second language.  Most people, who travel to Hessen, don’t have a huge issue of communicating with the locals.  The citizens who live here are actually friendly.  They usually even give good suggestions on local events and places to visit. 

            ECONOMY:  Hessen is one of the most dynamic business regions in Europe and has one of the strongest economies in Germany. Clip:  In addition to the high-technology sectors that generate strong revenues and exports, the booming services sector is driving rapid structural change and continuing economic growth in Hessen. End clip. (http://chronicle.com/academicDestination/Hessen-Germany/69/facts/. 9/7/2011). The State of Hessen has the largest per capita GDP of any of the German federal states. Future-oriented sectors such as environmental technology, logistics, medical technology, and nanotechnology are growing quickly, benefiting from the research infrastructure at Hessen universities and non-university research institutes. In the competition among German business regions, Hessen has the highest labor productivity and one of the best employment rates.

Hessen’s exports are dominating the chemical industry with chemical exports making up roughly 25% of the total $70 billion dollars worth of goods and services exported each year. The chemical industry is located primarily in the Rhine Main region and global companies include: Celanese, Clariant, Evonik Degussa, Fresenius, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Procter & Gamble, Sanofi-Aventis, and Stada. Machines, vehicles, vehicle parts, accessories, and electro technical goods also represent over $6.7 billion US dollars. The three most important export markets for Hessen are France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

CITIES:  Clip:  Hessen is the 7^th largest state of Germany.  End clip. (http://www.germany-insider-facts.com/hessen-germany.html. 9/7/2011).  It has one of the best transportation networks in Europe. Many trans-European and German transportation lines cross through Hessen.  Most of the population is in the southern part of the Hessen, which would be the Rhine Main Area.  Some important cities in Hessen are Frankfurt, Limburg, and Darmstadt.  Hessen’s cities are divided into three federal administrative districts.  Within these large districts, there are also smaller ones.  There are lowlands around Frankfurt and along the Rhine.  The state also had low mountain ranges and river valleys. 

            HISTORY:  Clip:  The territory was annexed by the Kingdom of Westphalia in 1806, but restored to the Elector in 1813. In 1866 it was annexed by Prussia, together with the Free City of Frankfurt, Hessen-Homburg and the duchy of Nassau, which established the province of Hessen-Nassau.  The revolution of 1918 transformed Hessen-Darmstadt from a monarchy to a republic, which officially renamed itself to "Volksstaat Hessen" (People's State of Hessen). The parts of Hessen-Darmstadt on the western banks of the Rhine were occupied by French troops until 1930 under the terms of the Versailles peace treaty that officially ended WWI in 1919.  After World War II the Hessian territory left of the Rhine was again occupied by France, whereas the rest of the country was part of the US occupation zone. The French separated their part of Hessen from the rest of the country and incorporated it into the newly founded state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The United States, on the other side, proclaimed the state of Greater Hessen on September 19^th, 1945. End clip. (http://german110f11.blogspot.com/2011/08/homework-for-sept-6.html. 9/7/2011).

FACTS:  I found it interesting that the death penalty is not allowed in Germany, but Hessen still uses it.  I also found it interesting that Hessen has no tuition for citizens or international students.