References to World War I Propaganda In Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front

"During drill time Kantorek gave us long lectures until the whole of our class went, under his shepherding, to the District Commandant and volunteered. I can see him now, as he used to glare at us through his spectacles and say in a moving voice: 'Won't you join up, Comrades?'"(Remarque 11)

"During drill time Kantorek gave us long lectures until the whole of our class went, under his shepherding, to the District Commandant and volunteered. I can see him now, as he used to glare at us through his spectacles and say in a moving voice: 'Won't you join up, Comrades?'"(Remarque 11) Propaganda in this time period was used to encourage people to go to the war. It also caused the people who could not go to war to encourage those who could to do so. This propaganda caused the school teacher from the quote, Kantorek, to encourage - more like force - his students to sign up for war.

"We were still crammed full of vague ideas which gave to life, and to the war also an ideal and almost romantic character."(21)

"We were still crammed full of vague ideas which gave to life, and to the war also an ideal and almost romantic character."(21)  Propaganda made the war look better which filled the minds of the youth with aspirations to go to war so that they would join up. The main characters in the novel were also fooled by the propaganda which is why they joined the war. 

"We had fancied our task would be different, only to find we were to be trained for heroism as though we were circus-ponies."(22) 

"We had fancied our task would be different, only to find we were to be trained for heroism as though we were circus-ponies."(22)  Propaganda had fooled the main characters into believing that war was still dignifying and that they could be heroes by going to war. Once they got there though, they found out otherwise.

"'For breakfast, turnip-bread - lunch, turnip-stew - supper, turnip-cutlets and turnip-salad.'"(36)

"'For breakfast, turnip-bread - lunch, turnip-stew - supper, turnip-cutlets and turnip-salad.'"(36) There were also propaganda posters advertising the great food that would be served if you joined up. The reality that the soldiers in the story found out was that it really was not as great as they thought it would be. It was bland and disgusting, there was often a repetition of a certain type of food, and the rations were smaller than desired.

"'It's simply amazing, I tell you, that the ordinary tommy sticks it all up here in the front-line.'"(45)

"'It's simply amazing, I tell you, that the ordinary tommy sticks it all up here in the front-line.'"(45) Propaganda was used also to make the Germans hate the enemy side. One of the degrading names used by the Germans for the other side(more specifically Americans) was 'Tommy'. They were also told through propaganda that the enemy side was not as capable as they were regarding anything military-wise which is why the characters in the story were amazed at what the 'Tommies' could do.