Humans a naturally scared of what they cannot see, so gas was one of the most common causes to run.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Fear on the Front
Towards the end of chapter 6, Paul finds Himmelstoss while they are being bombarded by artillery. During the attack, Himmelstoss is gripped by fear and panic and pretends to be wounded in a dug-out. the sight of this enrages Paul, and he commands him to get out. When he refuses to move, Paul beats him into submission and pushes him through the door. Fear is a powerful force during war, as it can demoralize troops on one side of the fight and motivate the other side to push for a crushing victory. Many soldiers in WWI would have mental breakdowns due to fear of weapons such as gas and bombs. Fear was a major factor in how new soldiers would respond to a threat. if they saw a veteran panic or run in fear, they would probably follow their lead.
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This post made me think of the soldiers being children following in their father's lead since you said if they saw a veteran run theyd all run.after I thought they all shouldve been mad at their country openly for only telling them the glamour of war but then you said fear and it answered my question of why they werent mad at their country openly because they were afraid
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