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I think it is easy to identify with the German soldiers, even without military training. It is part of what makes this book so thought-provoking and why it sold 2.5 million copies in 22 languages in its first 18 months. The issues of mortality, patriotism, identity, etc that Paul and his fellow soldiers struggle with are universal. You can easily imagine the the British and French soldiers on the other side of the trenches having similar discussions and dealing with similar emotions. You can see it in how Paul deals with killing the French soldier who appears in his hole in no man's land. You can also see it in how Paul reacts to the Russian prisoners of war when he goes on leave back home & to training. The scenes with the Russians about music and about wanting to share his food were very touching to me. The reader relates to Paul and doesn't see him as a heartless monster. They are fighting, killing, and surviving with animal instincts in the name of their country due to decisions made by a small number of people many levels higher so far removed from them. Yet they are humans with their own individual lives and families and hopes and dreams for the future that have been destroyed by the war. This book was banned and burned in Nazi Germany because of the anti-war questions it raised, especially about patriotic propaganda in the name of the Fatherland.
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