[Music] in Chapter 9 of All Quiet on the Western Front Paul's company travels for a few days and he has difficulty finding his regiment when at last he spots chadon Muller cat and crop Paul is relieved and a sense of belonging washes over him the soldiers begin to hear rumors that the war may be ending and that they'll be sent to fight in Russia then they find out the real story the Kaiser or German Emperor is coming to review their company the men are curious about what the Kaiser looks like and when he arrives he's a disappointment they wonder about the role the Kaiser played in starting the war and question the basis of the war itself crop points out that the soldiers on both sides are merely trying to protect their homelands who's to say who's in the right chod and considers the fact that countries themselves are abstractions cat thinks that the rulers of the nation's involved benefit because war brings them Fame and power crop compares war to a fever no one wants it but it just takes over after the Kaiser leaves the soldiers put on their old uniforms and return to the frontlines on their way they see gruesome sights such as dead men hanging from trees and a soldier with his legs blown off soon an attack begins and Paul takes shelter in a shell hole when suddenly a French soldier tumbles into his hiding place Paul plunges his dagger into him but the man does not die hours pass Paul tries not to look at the man but hears him gurgling and choking on his own blood slowly dying he looks Paul in the eyes Paul strokes the man's forehead and gives him water trying to comfort him Paul considers killing him to put him out of his misery but can't bring himself to do it Paul faces the fact that this is the first time he's killed a man with his own hands when the man finally dies the silence is unbearable he imagines the man's life outside of war telling the man's corpse that he didn't want to kill him and then he'll make up for it Paul realized that if they were not on opposing sides they could have been friends Paul locates the French soldiers wallet and discovers the man's name is Gerard Duval and that he was a printer with a wife and child the next morning Paul feels the need to talk about it but Kath and Albert encouraged him to forget the incident and move on the men's experience seeing the Kaiser for the first time shows how detached those in power are from those who fight and die for their country when Paul finds himself alone being without his comrades is terrifying because they help each other keep their emotions in check back from leave he begins to spiral out of control remarkably vulnerable to the psychological impact of killing the French soldier who falls into his shell hole you