He had volunteered early, rather than waiting to be conscripted, for he felt a duty and an obligation to serve, and believed that ... being willing to fight for his country and the liberty it represented, would make some small difference.... His idealism was one of the casualties of the carnage [of Verdun].Iain Pears
About This Quote
His idealism was one of the casualties of the carnage [of Verdun]. The quality and character of a person’s idealism is often determined by the difficulty and challenges he or she encounters. In this quote, we see that his idealism was one of the casualties of the battles at Verdun. His idealism was not strong enough to withstand the tragic loss of life and serious hardship endured by those who fought. It’s as if he had been abandoned by his ideals.
Source: The Dream Of Scipio
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