Storm of Steel

1. Initial Romanticism Shattered by Brutal Reality

Grown up in an age of security, we shared a yearning for danger, for the experience of the extraordinary.

Youthful enthusiasm for war. The new recruits, fresh from civilian life, were initially captivated by the idea of war, viewing it as a grand adventure and a test of manhood, fueled by romantic notions and a desire for extraordinary experience. They volunteered eagerly, expecting a "merry duelling party."

First encounter with death. This romantic view was abruptly dispelled by the first experience of shelling and casualties. Witnessing the impersonal carnage and the suffering of the wounded immediately revealed the brutal, unromantic nature of modern warfare, causing shock and disillusionment.

War's true face. The initial days brought not glorious action, but dirt, hard work, sleepless nights, and soul-crushing boredom. The reality of stationary trench warfare was a stark contrast to the anticipated excitement, forcing a rapid and harsh re-evaluation of their initial expectations.

2. Trench Warfare: A Monotonous Cycle of Mud, Boredom, and Sudden Death

Life in the trenches was a matter of unbending routines; I will now describe the course of a single day of the kind that we had, one after another, for a year and a half...

Daily grind and discomfort. Trench life was characterized by strenuous monotony, punctuated by brief rest periods. Days and nights were filled with exhausting sentry duty, incessant digging, and constant exposure to the elements, particularly the pervasive mud and cold.

Boredom as an enemy. Beyond the physical hardships, boredom was a constant companion, often more enervating than the proximity of death. Soldiers developed routines, told stories, hunted rats, and engaged in small, often perilous, activities to pass the time and maintain morale.

Sudden, random violence. This routine was regularly interrupted by unpredictable shelling and sniper fire, which could instantly turn a moment of quiet into a scene of carnage. Death was an ever-present, arbitrary force, striking down comrades without warning amidst the mundane tasks of daily life.

3. Modern Artillery Transforms War into Impersonal Destruction

What was that about? War had shown its claws, and stripped off its mask of cosiness. It was all so strange, so impersonal.

Invisible, distant threat. Unlike earlier forms of combat, modern artillery delivered death from afar, often without the enemy being seen. Shells arrived with curious sounds – whirring, whistling, crashing – causing destruction that felt random and detached from human agency.

Overwhelming firepower. Battles like Les Eparges and the Somme demonstrated the immense scale and destructive power of artillery barrages, turning landscapes into churned-up wastelands and reducing villages to rubble. The sheer volume of fire created an "oceanic roar" where individual sounds were lost.

Psychological impact of shelling. The constant threat of being buried or torn apart by shells created intense psychological pressure. Huddling in dugouts, counting seconds between impacts, and witnessing the horrific injuries inflicted by splinters became common experiences, highlighting the impersonal brutality of this new form of warfare.

4. Constant Proximity to Death Shapes Perception and Psychology

It bore out the fact that for four years we lived in the shadow of death.

Altered sensory experience. Living under constant threat heightened senses, making soldiers jump at any sudden noise, mistaking mundane sounds for incoming shells. This hyper-vigilance was a constant reminder of the ever-present danger.

Desensitization and detachment. Over time, repeated exposure to death and mutilation led to a degree of desensitization. Soldiers learned to step over bodies, bandage wounds with grim efficiency, and return to their tasks, developing a detached, almost apathetic response to the horrors around them.

Moments of existential reflection. Despite the desensitization, the proximity of death also prompted moments of profound reflection and a heightened appreciation for life. Witnessing comrades fall or having near misses often led to contemplation on mortality and the meaning of their sacrifice.

5. Combat Forges Deep Bonds and Reveals True Character

Relations between the men were very cordial. It was here that I made close friendships, which were to stand the test of many battlefields...

Camaraderie in shared hardship. The intense shared experience of danger, discomfort, and boredom forged strong bonds between soldiers. They relied on each other for support, humor, and survival, creating a sense of family within the company.

Character under pressure. The front line stripped away pretense, revealing men's true character under extreme pressure. Courage, stoicism, selflessness, and even unexpected eccentricities emerged, creating a unique social dynamic distinct from civilian life.

Mutual respect and loyalty. Officers and men, initially separated by rank, developed mutual respect based on shared trials. Loyalty extended beyond duty, as seen in acts like Vinke ensuring Jünger's belongings were safe or Kius coming forward to help during an attack, demonstrating a deep, unspoken bond.

6. The Evolution of Warfare: From Static Siege to Storm Troop Assaults

What confronted us now was a war of matériel of the most gigantic proportions. This war in turn was replaced towards the end of 1917 by mechanized warfare...

Stalemate of static warfare. The initial phase of the war quickly devolved into static trench warfare, a mutual siege where frontal attacks were often suicidal due to entrenched defenses and machine guns. This period was characterized by elaborate fortifications and limited tactical movement.

Rise of matériel battle. The Battle of the Somme marked a shift to a war dominated by overwhelming artillery power and industrial-scale destruction. This phase relied on massive bombardments to pave the way for infantry advances, though often at immense cost and limited gains.

Development of storm troop tactics. Towards the end of the war, new tactics emerged, focusing on small, agile storm troop units designed to infiltrate and roll up enemy lines using hand-grenades and close combat. The Cambrai battle exemplified this shift, emphasizing speed, initiative, and shock action to break the stalemate.

7. Objective Observation Amidst Chaos and Carnage

I still viewed the machinery of conflict with the eyes of an inexperienced recruit – the expressions of bellicosity seemed as distant and peculiar to me as events on another planet.

Detached perspective. Jünger often describes the battlefield with a detached, almost scientific eye, observing the mechanics of destruction, the behavior of men under fire, and the transformation of the landscape with a focus on detail rather than overt emotion. This perspective allowed him to analyze and learn from the chaos.

Cataloging the details. His descriptions frequently list the specific types of shells, weapons, injuries, and the state of the terrain with meticulous detail. This objective cataloging creates a vivid, if chilling, picture of the material reality of the front.

Finding patterns in chaos. Even in the most intense moments, Jünger sought to understand the patterns and logic of the battle, whether it was the trajectory of shells, the effectiveness of different tactics, or the predictable reactions of men under pressure. This analytical approach is a hallmark of his narrative.

8. The Physical and Mental Toll of Relentless Battle

Clearly, this unaccustomed type of existence hit us hard, especially since most of us had had only a nodding acquaintance with real work.

Physical exhaustion and injury. The constant demands of trench life, digging, carrying, and enduring the elements led to profound physical exhaustion. Wounds, from minor scrapes to horrific mutilations, were a daily reality, often compounded by infection and lack of adequate medical care on the front lines.

Psychological strain. The cumulative effect of living in constant danger, witnessing death, and enduring intense bombardments took a heavy mental toll. Symptoms included hyper-vigilance, difficulty sleeping, emotional numbness, and moments of overwhelming dread or even hysterical reactions.

Wounds as a ticket home. Paradoxically, being wounded, while terrifying, often represented a temporary escape from the front line's relentless pressure. Even serious injuries could be seen as a "ticket home," offering a brief respite from the "shadow of death."

9. Contrasting Worlds: The Front Line vs. The Rear

It meant having a roof over our heads again, and a bed in the dry. We could sleep without having to go out into the night four hours later...

The front as a distinct realm. The front line was a world apart, defined by its unique routines, dangers, and psychological landscape. It was a place of constant tension, physical hardship, and the ever-present reality of death.

Rear areas as temporary havens. Rest periods behind the lines offered a stark contrast, providing opportunities for sleep, cleaning, better food, and a brief return to something resembling normal life. Villages like Douchy became temporary garrisons, offering a semblance of comfort and recreation.

Disconnection and misunderstanding. The experiences of the front line were often incomprehensible to those in the rear, including staff officers and civilians. This created a sense of disconnection and sometimes resentment between those enduring the daily horrors and those managing the war from a distance.

10. Moments of Beauty and Absurdity Amidst the Horror

In among the great, bloody scenes there was a wild, unsuspected hilarity.

Unexpected beauty. Despite the devastation, moments of natural beauty persisted, such as flowering landscapes, birds singing amidst shelling, or the sight of stars at night. These instances provided a poignant contrast to the surrounding ugliness and destruction.

Absurdity and dark humor. The extreme conditions often gave rise to moments of dark humor and absurdity. Jokes about injuries, the names given to dugouts or shells, and the bizarre situations encountered (like the King of Quéant or the dogfight over the latrine) provided psychological release and highlighted the surreal nature of their existence.

Finding joy in simple things. Small comforts, like a hot meal, a dry dugout, a good cigar, or a shared bottle of wine, took on immense significance. These simple pleasures became cherished moments of respite and humanity amidst the prevailing grimness.

11. The Weariness and Disillusionment of Prolonged Conflict

I felt I had got tired, and used to the aspect of war, but it was from this familiarity that I observed what was in front of me in a new and subdued light.

Cumulative fatigue. The relentless cycle of battle, loss, and hardship led to a deep, pervasive weariness. The initial enthusiasm waned, replaced by a grim determination and a sense of the war's unending nature.

Loss of initial purpose. For some, the original motivations for fighting seemed to lose their meaning as the war dragged on. The conflict evolved into something larger and more complex than anticipated, posing "new, deeper puzzles."

A subdued perspective. The prolonged exposure to violence and death led to a more subdued and reflective outlook. The world seemed less sharply defined, and the novelty of war gave way to a weary familiarity, observed through a lens of melancholy.

12. The Great Battle: A Turning Point into Elemental Terror

The gigantic roaring of the innumerable guns behind us was so atrocious that even the greatest of the battles we had experienced seemed like a tea party by comparison.

Unprecedented scale of bombardment. The preliminary barrage of the Great Battle in March 1918 reached a level of intensity previously unimaginable, creating a "tempest" and a "colossal wall of flame" that silenced enemy artillery and overwhelmed the senses.

Elemental force of battle. The battle felt like an encounter with an elemental force, a "wild thunder" and "gigantic roaring" that transcended human scale. Soldiers were swept up in a "maëlstrom of devastation," where the laws of nature seemed suspended and individual will dissolved.

Berserk rage and killing. The attack itself was characterized by a "berserk rage" and an "overwhelming desire to kill." Close-quarters combat with hand-grenades became a "deadliest of duels," fought with a ferocity born of the intense pressure and the sheer scale of the violence.

Last updated: May 18, 2025