Killing without Remorse Ernst Jünger’s In Stahlgewittern and War Legitimation

Authors

  • Gijs Altena University of Groningen, The Netherlands

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7203/eutopias.0.18579

Keywords:

Junger, In Stahlgewittern, Marxism, war, false consciousness, storm

Abstract

Discussing the role of war and what in Marxist theory is called false consciousness, this article strives to create a better understanding of how the individual in war can be led to kill without remorse, even though the human empathic faculty should prevent this. By delving deeper into the history of the war novel in the interwar period, this article highlights the main theories of war legitimation, whilst showing that In Stahlgewittern, Ernst Ju?nger’s controversial account of First World War, does not fit into any of these theories. Based on a comparison of In Stahlgewittern with Der Friede, another of Ju?nger’s texts, and the historical use of the storm-motif in literature, it is concluded that Ernst Ju?nger tries to legitimate his deeds by putting them in a theological-apocalyptic framework.

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References

Alphen, Hieronymus van (1998), Kleine Gedigten voor kinderen, Piet Buijnsters (ed.), Amsterdam: Polak & Van Gennep.

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Jünger, Ernst (1992), “Der Friede”, Paul Michael Lützeler (ed.), Die Schriftsteller und Europa. Von der Romantik bis zur Gegenwart, München & Zürich: Piper, pp. 328-365.

Jünger, Ernst (2014), In Stahlgewittern, Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta.

Lenz, Jakob Michael Reinhold (1992), “Über die Soldatenehen”, Werke und Briefe. Band 2: Prosa, Sigrid Damm (ed.),Frankfurt am Main: Insel Verlag, pp. 787-827.

Milton, John (2005), Paradise Lost, Gordon Teskey (ed.), New York & London: Norton.

Remarque, Erich Maria (2014), Im Westen nichts Neues, Thomas F. Schneider (ed.), Köln: Kiepenheuer & Witsch.

Weisse, Christian Felix (1763), Scherzhafte Lieder, Leipzig: M.G. Weidemanns Erben und Reich.

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Published

2018-07-02

How to Cite

Altena, G. (2018). Killing without Remorse Ernst Jünger’s In Stahlgewittern and War Legitimation. EU-topías. A Journal on Interculturality, Communication, and European Studies, 15, 119–129. https://doi.org/10.7203/eutopias.0.18579
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Issue

VOL. 15 (2018)

Section

DOSSIER

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