During the course of the novel, Paul mentions that the army is run on a system of drills, marches, and routines, and that the soldiers resent these practices. Does it seem strange that 3 drills should be conducted during the course of the fighting? What was your reaction when Paul and his comrades lose their new uniforms after the inspection by the Kaiser?
WW1 was so long ago. The ways war was trained for and fought was very different back then than the way war is handled today. I can't say if three drills was common or not in the German army. Paul's tone gives us the sense that these drills were excessive and rather meaningless. One of the themes in this book is that war is fought for other people. Leaders on both sides use soldiers as pawns for their own ambitions. Paul and his comrades have more in common with enemy soldiers than they do with the Kaiser. It is not surprising that the men had to play dress up in front of the Kaiser and then lose their costumes. The Kaiser's visit was just meaningless show.
