All Quiet On The Western Front: Ramifications of War The novel All Quiet on the Western Front, written by Erich Maria Remarque, took place during World War I. The novel focuses on six men who are involved in the war. The main character is Paul B@umer, a nineteen-year-old who was drafted into the war. At this point in time, going to war was not a question once one were drafted because it was an honor to die for one's country. The people who were not involved in the war could not perceive what it was like to be on the front. They had no idea of the actual brutality of the situation.