210
www.amazoniainvestiga.info ISSN 2322- 6307
DOI: https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2023.68.08.20
How to Cite:
Boklakh, D., Hrosevych, T., Tabakova, H., Ieliseienko, A., & Chystiak, D. (2023). The problem of war and peace in European
literature of the 20th century. Amazonia Investiga, 12(68), 210-223. https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2023.68.08.20
The problem of war and peace in European literature of the 20th
century
Проблема війни і миру у європейській літературі ХХ століття
Received: July 1, 2023 Accepted: August 29, 2023
Written by:
Dmytro Boklakh1
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0691-7034
Taras Hrosevych2
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1503-0256
Hanna Tabakova3
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9687-6290
Anna Ieliseienko4
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9165-7304
Dmytro Chystiak5
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0081-7806
Abstract
Aim. The aim of the article is to identify and
arrange the patterns of influence of the
consequences of the wars of the 20th century on
literature as one of the characteristic
manifestations of the socio-cultural activity of
the community involved in destructive military
actions, and the influence of these literary works
on modernity. Methods. The research employed
the following methods: collection and analysis of
works of war literature, cross-sectional expert
rating analysis, content analysis and drawing
analytical conclusions. Results. The study was
focused on two lists of literary works about the
First and Second World Wars. According to the
rankings, Erich Maria Remarque - Der Weg
zurück (about the First World War) and Anne
Frank - Het Achterhuis (about the Second World
War) are the leaders. Stylistic dynamics showed
a change from generalized moral reflections to
personal experiences of military horrors. The
results confirmed the impact of military conflicts
on literature and its interaction with other socio-
1
Candidate for a Degree, Lecturer, Department of Foreign Languages and Professional Communication, Faculty of Humanities and
Social Sciences, Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University, Kyiv, Ukraine.
2
Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor, Cyclic Commission of Journalism, Ivano-Frankivsk Branch, Open
International University of Human Development “Ukraine”, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine.
3
Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor, Department of Ukrainian and Foreign Literature and Comparative Studies,
Faculty of Philology and Social Communications, Berdyansk State Pedagogical University, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.
4
Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor, Department of Language Training, Faculty of Management, Administration
and Law, State Biotechnological University, Kharkiv, Ukraine.
5
Doctor of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor, Professor, Department of Romanic Philology, Educational and Scientific
Institute of Philology, Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University, Kyiv, Ukraine.
Boklakh, D., Hrosevych, T., Tabakova, H., Ieliseienko, A., Chystiak, D. / Volume 12 - Issue 68: 210-223 / August, 2023
Volume 12 - Issue 68
/ August 2023
211
http:// www.amazoniainvestiga.info ISSN 2322- 6307
cultural phenomena. Conclusions. The authors’
appeal in the war literature of World War II to the
personal experiences of the potential reader
through the mediation of autobiographical
literary works contributes to a fundamental
revision of the moral and ethical norms of the
post-war society. The academic novelty is a
comprehensive analysis of the impact of global
military conflicts on European literature and their
role in the modern world. The results of the study
can be used in literary studies, education and
cultural studies for a better understanding of the
influence of military conflicts on literature and
the formation of a humanistic worldview. The
prospects for further research direction focus on
increasing the sample of empirical data through
content analysis of a larger number of master
works of war literature.
Keywords: autobiography, expert reader
analysis, content analysis, global conflicts,
literary reaction.
Introduction
Relevance
The study of the problem of war and peace in
European literature of the 20th century is
extremely relevant and has great academic and
social significance in terms of the following
aspects:
1. Historical aspect. The 20th century was the
period of the largest armed conflicts in world
history —World Wars I and II, as well as the
Cold War. The study of the problems of war
and peace in the literature of that time helps
to better understand the influence that these
conflicts had on the worldview of writers
and how they influenced the formation of
national and world identity (Bullock et al.,
2021; Camarotto, 2021; Godin, 2019).
2. Humanitarian aspect. The problem of war
and peace remains relevant to date, as armed
conflicts continue in various regions of the
world. Literary works of the 20th century can
provide deep insights into the tragedy of war
and human suffering, as well as emphasize
the importance of peace and coexistence for
the modern world (Alexander, 2023;
Dall'Igna, 2023).
3. Socio-cultural analysis. The study of
literature can help to better understand the
cultural, social, and political challenges of
the time, as well as reveal the role of writers
in shaping the worldview of their society
(Lazarovych, 2023; Hart, 2023;
Kalangutkar, 2022).
4. Postmodern approach. Literary works of
postmodernism open up new opportunities
for the analysis of war and peace as complex
and multifaceted concepts that are subject to
different interpretations. Studying this
aspect will help to better understand current
literary trends and contribute to the
development of literary studies (Brett, 2016;
Kiesel, 2023; Lipárová, 2022).
5. Global dimension. The problems of war and
peace affect the whole world. The relevance
of the research is the fact that the literary
works of the 20th century can be a source for
understanding the universal problems facing
humanity, and will contribute to the
development of cultural education and
tolerance (Strachan, 2017; Kristiawan &
Pandhamnurani, 2023; Mašek, 2023).
6. Significance for the present. Contemporary
writers and readers can find inspiration and
insight in twentieth-century literary works
dealing with war and peace. This will make
it possible to respond to modern challenges,
offer alternative ways to peace, and promote
the development of a harmonious society
(Aldridge, 2019; Ladani & Naghi, 2023).
The study of the problem of war and peace in the
212
www.amazoniainvestiga.info ISSN 2322- 6307
European literature of the 20th century will help
to reveal the complexity and importance of this
topic for understanding the modern world, the
development of literary studies and cultural
education, as well as for finding ways to peace
and tolerant coexistence in a world where war
and conflicts remain important problems.
Unexplored Issues
There is a significant number of studies on the
analysis of literary works of wartime periods, but
they are eposodic, inconsistent, forming a
fragmented and sometimes contradictory idea of
the perception of war as a complex socio-
psychological phenomenon not only at the level
of communities involved in military operations,
but also at the level of individuals who
experienced all the hardships of the war on their
own experience. Considering the modern
context, namely a large-scale war in the middle
of Europe (which is a consequence of Russia’s
unprovoked armed aggression against Ukraine),
the goal of arranging sociocultural phenomena
and ways to overcome psycho-emotional crises,
which are embedded in meaningful literary
works, is extremely practical.
Aim
The aim of the article is to identify and arrange
the patterns of influence of the consequences of
the wars of the 20th century on literature as one
of the characteristic manifestations of the socio-
cultural activity of the community involved in
destructive military actions and the influence of
these literary works on the present.
Objectives/Questions
Research objectives:
1. Study the literary works of European writers
that covered the military actions of the
largest wars of the 20th century.
2. Identify the dynamics of literary stylistics
and sentiments of literary works of the
wartime.
3. Determine the general vector of the military
theme, which was reflected in the literary
works of the wartime.
4. Identify influential literary works that cover
the consequences of the military operations
of World Wars I and II.
5. Establish the relevance and practical impact
of these works on current socio-cultural
activities in the context of the development
of a large-scale war in the central part of
Europe.
Literature Review
An analytical review of the results of relevant
publications on the influence of the largest wars
of the 20t century on literature as the main
element of the socio-cultural activity of
communities involved in destructive military
conflicts was conducted to determine the current
academic landscape in relation to the chosen
vector of research.
Ribeiro and Thomaz (2023) show that historians
and literary critics have long differed in their
assessment of World War I poetry. The
underlying reason is canonization, which limits
or even ignores the diversity of poetic practices
of the period. The study of a new corpus of
French poets of World War II and examining
poetry as a social and cultural category shows
that war poets can be considered as
ethnographers of the culture of that time. This
makes us see poets as producers of interpretive
knowledge of war, and poetry as more than just
documents or closed lyrical works.
The main findings by Shoebottom (2023)
concern the problematic nature of the cultural
memory of the war. Remembrance of the war
depends on national sentiments, which war to
grace, which party, actors, events and themes to
emphasize. Over time, the way past events are
commemorated may change depending on public
self-perception. Cultural memory of war is often
based on post-war ideas and contexts of
interpretation, rather than on the ideas for which
the war was unleashed. War Memories:
Commemoration, Recollections, and Writings on
War edited by Stéphanie A.H. Bélanger and
Renée Dickason explores the various approaches
to commemorating war through different media:
monuments, books, works of art. It illustrates the
complexity of war memory and its importance
for societies. The book meets expectations
demonstrating a multi-genre and transnational
approach.
Moreshead (2023) studies the work of Al Filreis
and emphasises the importance of the 1960’s for
art and literature. Scientist argues that the time is
notable for the combination of modernism and
radicalism as a response to the consequences of
World War II. Focusing on the work of Jewish
authors such as Paul Celan, Jerome Rothenberg
and Hannah Arendt, the researcher shows how
they raised questions about the meaning of
language and writing in the context of fascist
authoritarianism and genocide. Using a
combination of writing, art and dialogue, Filreis
demonstrates how the period dealt with the
Volume 12 - Issue 68
/ August 2023
213
http:// www.amazoniainvestiga.info ISSN 2322- 6307
trauma of war and reinterpreted pre-war
modernism.
Mishra (2023) focuses on the literary analysis of
two European texts: Dulce et Decorum Est by
Wilfred Owen and General, Your Tank is a
Powerful Machine by Bertolt Brecht. The authors
use literary techniques to convey an anti-war
message, emphasizing the consequences of war
and the destruction it brings. The results of the
study show that war and violence are futile
solutions to conflicts, and that literature can
promote peace and destroy the myth of war glory.
The main findings of Wróblewski (2023) relate
to the analysis of a unique collection of school
works written by Polish children and youth in
1945-1946. The works contain references to the
wartime period and are divided into two
collections relating to different regions of
Poland. Young authors combine a private
narrative style with elements of public
expression, smoothly transitioning from personal
dramatic details about the war to the style of a
school work. The themes of the works were
determined by the programme of writing
memoirs about the wartime period. The article
portrayed the war as a micro-history with many
details about local wartime events such as raids,
public executions, and Nazi brutality against
adults and children.
Blažić (2023) worked on the play Jurček in Trije
Razbojniki by Alenka Gerlovič is that this
fabulous play created during the Second World
War is an important writer’s ethical expression
regarding fascism, Nazism, and the horrors of
war. With this play, Herlovich became one of the
world’s writers for young people who use their
works to comment on the war. Jurček creates an
“imaginary screen” that helps the audience to
maintain a distance from the horrors of war,
while being part of the anti-fascist struggle,
acting as a symbolic weapon and an ethical act.
The author managed to raise serious ethical
questions with the help of a fairy tale and
promoted influence the younger generation,
perceiving their participation in the war as an
active role in opposing Nazism.
Ugli (2022) explores the abstract perception of
the theme of war by Western researchers. The
main goal of the research is to study the role of
war in the development of world literature and to
analyse the approaches of Western researchers to
the understanding of war in the literature of
different periods. The research is based on
assessments and perspectives, using scientific
sources relevant to the given topic. The main
areas of research include the study of the role of
brave heroes in classical literature, where war is
considered from a simple perspective, as well as
the study of war literature of the 19th-20th
centuries in Western literature and the analysis of
the works of the “lost generation”. In these
studies, special attention is paid to the negative
impact of war on the human mind and its future.
Campobasso (2022) reviews Andreas Dorrer’s
Neider überall zwingen uns zu gerechter
Verteidigung, which analyses the literary response
to the Verteidigungskrieg, focusing on early
twentieth-century drama. Scientist reveals how
patriotic theatre contributed to the propaganda of
war, while reactionary theatre in the 1920’s and
30’s addressed the reality of the horrors of war. The
study helps to better understand the role of children
in war and the moral consequences of the conflict.
Dagnino (2022) examines the role of the
Federation of Catholic Students of Italy (FUCI)
in the formation of future Christian Democrats
after the Second World War in the context of
literary activity. FUCI created a new type of
religiosity that provided ideals of personal
development and spiritual growth. The literature
of that period was marked by emotionality,
heroism and passion, which influenced the
formation of strong images and motives. The
idea of “palingenesis” of Christianity united the
cultural, ethical and political spheres of life,
which contributed to the creativity of writers,
promoting the ideals of Catholic Christianity.
Literary works interacted with FUCI ideas and
helped shape cultural and spiritual identity after
the war.
The studies (Ferris, 2022; Zühlke, 2023)
established literary experiments in British
literature after World War II. The author
examines the period from 1945 to 1980 and
reveals how aesthetic achievements initiated new
forms of literary expression. The study is the first
to consistently examine the influence of
continental and transatlantic influences on the
formation of literary networks. Ferris (2022)
offers a comprehensive overview of the status of
abstraction in cultural, institutional, and literary
contexts, and explores the relationship between
spatiality and visuality in post-war literature.
Studies on the twentieth-century literature trace
the role of war and peace in the formation of the
cultural and ethical identity of society. Literary
works became not only a means of covering the
events of wartime, but also ethnographers of
culture, abstract works that deepen the
understanding of complex problems of the
214
www.amazoniainvestiga.info ISSN 2322- 6307
modern world. War and peace are viewed from
different perspectives, reflecting memory,
trauma, and ideals. The twentieth-century
literature is of great importance for
understanding war and peace, their impact on
society and individuality. Poetry, prose and
drama became not only a means of aesthetic
expression, but also tools for the formation of
ethical views, revealing the complexity of
memory embodied in works of art. Studying the
role of literary works in the context of war and
peace contributes to a deeper understanding of
social and cultural processes and realities of that
time. It is appropriate to continue research in this
area, because it reveals important aspects of
history, emotions, and ethical issues that affect
each generation.
Methods
Research Design
The research follows the procedure shown in
Figure.
Figure 1. Research design
Source: created by the author.
Sampling
The studied material was selected by cross-
sectional rating analysis of reading services
(Google Play Books, Amazon Kindle Cloud
Reader, OverDrive, Scribd, Kobo Reading App,
Wattpad, BookBub, Smashwords,
ReadAnyBook, ManyBooks) with the formation
of separate chronometric sets of literary works
(by rating preferences users of the listed
services):
− 10 most influential works about World War I:
Henri Barbusse - Le Feu; Erich Maria
Remarque - Im Westen nichts Neues; Erich
Maria Remarque - Der Weg zurück; Georges
Duhamel - Civilization: 1914-1917; Roland
Dorgeles - Les croix de bois; Robert Graves -
Goodbye to All That; Jaroslav Hašek - Osudy
dobrého vojáka Švejka za světové války;
Stefan Zweig - Ungeduld des Herzens; Ernst
Jünger - In Stahlgewittern; Ernst Jünger -Der
Kampf als inneres Erlebnis;
− 10 most influential works about World War
II: Elie Wiesel - La Nuit; Primo Levi - Se
questo è un uomo; Anne Frank - Het
Achterhuis; Viktor Frankl - Ein Psychologe
erlebt das Konzentrationslager; Elizabeth
Bowen - The Heat of the Day; Arthur
Koestler – Sonnenfinsternis; Erich Maria
Remarque - Der schwarze Obelisk; Erich
Maria Remarque - Arc de Triomphe; Anna
Seghers - Das siebte Kreuz; James G.
Ballard - Empire of the Sun.
Methods
1. Collection and analysis of literary works
created under the direct influence of World
Wars I and II: determination of the spectrum
of literary works of European authors that
covered the events of global conflicts of the
20th century with a separate chronological
distribution and creation of the list of the
most influential war literature.
2. Analysis of expert and reader opinion
regarding the most influential literary works
on global military conflicts of the 20th
century: cross-sectional ranking analysis of
expert opinion and reader opinion regarding
the definition of literary works that meet the
“opinion leader” criterion. The following
organizations of literary critics are an expert
environment: Association of Literary
Scholars, Critics and Writers (ALSCW,
2023); Gale Literature Criticism (Gale,
2023); The Cambridge History of Literary
Criticism (Сambridge Core, 2023);
International Association for Ethical
Literary Criticism (IAELC) (Union of
Stage I
Collection and
analysis of literary
works created
under the direct
influence of World
Wars I and II
Stage ІІ
Analysis of expert
and reader opinion
on the most
influential literary
works about
global military
conflicts of the
20th century
Stage ІІІ
Content analysis
of literary works
of World Wars I
and II determined
by the cross-
sectional rating of
expert and reader
opinion
Stage ІV
Analytical
conclusions
regarding the impact
of global military
conflicts on
literature as a
manifestation of the
socio-cultural
activity of the
community and the
impact of these
literary works on the
present
Volume 12 - Issue 68
/ August 2023
215
http:// www.amazoniainvestiga.info ISSN 2322- 6307
International Associations, 2023); PEN
Ukraine (2023). Expert opinion was
determined by relevant reviews of 20
selected most influential literary works
being the basis for building a corresponding
rating. The reader rating was created
according to the preferences of the users of
specialized online services: Google Play
Books, Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader,
OverDrive, Scribd, Kobo Reading App,
Wattpad, BookBub, Smashwords,
ReadAnyBook, ManyBooks. The overall
rating was formed based on the results of the
evaluation of the rating of literary critics and
the rating of users of online platforms for
reading.
3. Content analysis of literary works of World
Wars I and II determined by the cross-
sectional rating of expert and reader opinion:
the use of digital means of text statistics and
analytics Voyant Tools for works —
“opinion leaders” with the definition of
relevant trends and correlations, which
provides an idea of stylistic peculiarities of
each of the analysed representatives of war
literature.
4. Analytical conclusions regarding the
influence of global military conflicts on
literature as a manifestation of socio-cultural
activity of the community and the influence
of these literary works on the present:
drawing relevant conclusions about war
literature as a means of mental analysis of
the destructive consequences of military
actions.
Results
The analysis of publicly available reading and
literary services gave grounds to make the lists of
the most influential literary works created under
the direct influence of global military conflicts of
the 20th century.
Each of the identified sets of war literature is
arranged according to the results of the analysis
of expert opinion and reader preferences ‒
Figure 2. Analysis of the cross-sectional expert-
reader rating of literary works about World
War I
Source: created by the author.
, Figure 3. Analysis of the cross-sectional expert-
reader rating of literary works about World War
II.
Figure 2. Analysis of the cross-sectional expert-reader rating of literary works about World War I
Source: created by the author.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
7
4
2
9
8
6
5
3
1
10
3
2
1
9
8
7
6
5
4
10
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Henri Barbusse-Le Feu
Erich Maria Remarque - Im Westen nichts Neues
Erich Maria Remarque - Der Weg zurück
Georges Duhamel - Civilization: 1914-1917
Roland Dorgeles - Les croix de bois
Robert Graves - Goodbye to All That
Jaroslav Hašek - Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka za…
Stefan Zweig - Ungeduld des Herzens
Ernst Jünger - In Stahlgewittern
Ernst Jünger -Der Kampf als inneres Erlebnis
Critics' rating Readers' rating Cross-sectional rating
216
www.amazoniainvestiga.info ISSN 2322- 6307
Figure 3. Analysis of the cross-sectional expert-reader rating of literary works about World War II
Source: created by the author.
The results of the analysis of the cross-sectional
expert-reader rating of war literature give
grounds to draw the following conclusions:
− literary works about World War I are
focused on more conceptual general
civilizational issues of a society faced with
the destructive consequences of military
actions. This is confirmed by the applied
genre techniques, where fictional realism
prevails, which describes the experiences of
probable (fictional) heroes of this historical
period, their mental state (based on the
general impression of military actions) and a
philosophical rethinking of war as a
destructive phenomenon not only for a
certain social group or community, but also
for humanity in general. In contrast, the
“war” literature of World War II focuses
more on the personal experiences and
experiences of people who went through the
horrors of war with an accurate (or close to
it) description of the terrible events of the
wartime. These features directly affected the
level of correlation between the ratings of
specialized critics and the preferences of
ordinary readers: fiction-realism did not find
a response among a wide readership (the
level of correlation between expert opinion
and the preferences of the general public for
the war literature of World War I — 0.0182),
and autobiographical novels significantly
respond and appeal to the personal
experiences of each of the readers (the level
of correlational convergence of expert
opinion and preferences of the general
public for the war literature of World War II
‒ 0.3091);
− the predominance of German authors is
characteristic for the two selected lists of
influential literary works about the global
conflicts of the 20th century, which is
significant (taking into account the historical
role of Germany in the resolution of the
described wars) and is explained by the
desire of the world community to understand
the motives and intentions of nations seeking
war. At the same time, There is a toxic and
dangerous exchange of concepts takes place,
in which the aggressor turns into a victim of
circumstances, and not a conscious executor
of militant chauvinistic ideas: a grey moral
background is formed, which opposes the
generally accepted moral concepts of
“black” — war and “white” — peace.
Therefore, the desire of the world
community to increase the cultural influence
of the aggressor nations seems rather
strange, as opposed to a rational rethinking
of the historical roles of each of the parties
to global conflicts and preventing the
repetition of frankly anti-civilizational
events in the future;
− according to the cross-sectional expert-
reader rating of the war literature of World
War I, the work of Erich Maria Remarque
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
7
5
1
2
10
6
3
4
9
8
4
3
1
2
8
7
5
6
9
10
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Elie Wiesel - La Nuit
Primo Levi - Se questo è un uomo
Anne Frank - Het Achterhuis
Viktor Frankl - Ein Psychologe erlebt das
Konzentrationslager
Elizabeth Bowen - The Heat of the Day
Arthur Koestler - Sonnenfinsternis
Erich Maria Remarque - Der schwarze Obelisk
Erich Maria Remarque - Arc de Triomphe
Anna Seghers - Das siebte Kreuz
James G. Ballard - Empire of the Sun
Critics' rating Readers' rating Cross-sectional rating
Volume 12 - Issue 68
/ August 2023
217
http:// www.amazoniainvestiga.info ISSN 2322- 6307
Der Weg zurück, which showed a high
convergence of the cross-sectional rating,
both in the expert rating (0.5273), and in the
preferences of a wide range of readers
(0.7818), received the highest correlational
convergence of ratings of critics and the
general public. At the same time, the work
Le Feu by Henri Barbusse (fictional realism)
received most of the positive reviews among
critics, and In Stahlgewittern by Ernst
Jünger (autobiographical memoirs) among
readers, which confirms the previous
conclusions about personal sympathy for the
authors’ real experience shaped in an
appropriate literary form;
− according to the cross-sectional expert-
reader rating of the war literature of World
War II, the work Het Achterhuis by Anne
Frank received the greatest correlational
convergence of the ratings of critics and the
general public, which showed a high
convergence of the cross-sectional rating,
both in the expert rating (0.7818) and in
preferences of a wide range of readers
(0.8182). At the same time, a characteristic
feature for literary works about World War
II is a greater correlational convergence
between experts’ assessments, readers’
preferences, and cross-sectional rating
assessment. The established feature is
particularly confirmed by the fact that the
work Het Achterhuis by Anne Frank took a
leading position not only in the cross-
sectional rating, but also in terms of the
preferences of a wide range of readers with
a relatively high rating from critics.
However, it is worth noting that even among
autobiographical war works, the occupation
experience of a little girl appealed more to
readers’ sympathy and empathy, while
critics preferred a novel about a systemic
phenomenon — German concentration
camps.
− Authors of selected sets of leading war
literary works condemn military actions,
presenting philosophical concepts of peace
through the prism of psychological
experiences of individuals and communities
that have experienced the horrors of war.
A contextual analysis for the leaders of the cross-
sectional rating is performed using Voyant Tools:
− Erich Maria Remarque - Der Weg zurück ‒
Figure;
− Anne Frank - Het Achterhuis ‒
− Figure.
218
www.amazoniainvestiga.info ISSN 2322- 6307
Figure 4. Content analysis of Der Weg zurück by Erich Maria Remarque
Source: created by the author in Voyant Tools.
Figure 5. Content analysis of Het Achterhuis by Anne Frank
Source: created by the author in Voyant Tools.
The content analysis of the literary work Der
Weg zurück by Erich Maria Remarque in Voyant
Tools (Figure) gave grounds to establish the
following accents:
− total number of words ‒ 76,045;
− total number of unique word forms ‒ 10,393;
− vocabulary density: 0.137;
− readability index: 11.646;
− average number of words in a sentence:
13.2;
− the most frequently used words: Willy (283)
(hero’s name); Ludwig (170) (hero’s name);
Albert (147) (hero’s name); Kosole (131)
(hero’s surname); paar (105) (pair).
The content analysis of the literary work Het
Achterhuis by Anne Frank in Voyant Tools
(Figure 5) gave grounds to establish the
following accents:
− total number of words ‒ 78,182;
− total number of unique word forms ‒ 8 603;
− vocabulary density: 0.110
− readability index: 9.137
− average number of words in a sentence:
17,7;
− the most frequently used words: je (699)
(you); me (514) (I); we (484) (we); Рeter
(263) (hero’s name); Аnne (249) (hero’s
name).
A comparative analysis of the results of the
content analysis of the leaders of sets of literary
works about the global conflicts of the 20th
century indicate the following aspects:
− preliminary conclusions of the cross-expert-
reader rating of war literature regarding the
focus of the literary works of World War I
on general social concepts (as evidenced by
the set of the most used words in Der Weg
zurück by Erich Maria Remarque, which
mainly refer to third persons ‒ Figure) were
empirically confirmed. At the same time,
the authors of literary works about World
War II seek to convey personal experiences
in more detail (as evidenced by the set of
the most used words in Het Achterhuis by
Anne Frank, which mainly refer to the first
persons ‒
Volume 12 - Issue 68
/ August 2023
219
http:// www.amazoniainvestiga.info ISSN 2322- 6307
− Figure);
− the literary and technical feature of the
compared works also confirms the
conclusions of the cross-sectional expert-
reader rating of war literature: Erich Maria
Remarque uses a wider list of words and
original word forms, focusing on the literary
beauty of the produced work. On the
contrary, Anne Frank keeps the focus on the
emotional component of the literary work,
making less use of available speech and
stylistic constructions, while adhering to the
ordinary form of the story instead, which had
an appropriate response among the general
public of readers, even among modern youth
(Reuter, 2023; Kröncke, 2020);
− the authors of the compared literary works
use the historical context for different
purposes: Erich Maria Remarque ‒ for a
systemic rethinking of the destructive
consequences of war in the general paradigm
of humanism, Anne Frank ‒ for conveying
personal experiences and horrors of war.
Regardless of the different approach of the
authors determined by the leading positions in
the cross-expert-reader rating, their works focus
the reader on the problems of psychosocial
experience of military actions and their
consequences, which, scaling from one person to
the general public, point to humanity’s false
perception of romanticism, honour and victory of
war. The authors reveal the psychosocial aspect
of war, testifying to post-traumatic stress, the
moral weight of military actions, the loss of
innocence, as well as the search for a way to
survive in extreme conditions. The analysed
literary works emphasize that the real picture of
war does not coincide with romantic ideas or
heroic stereotypes, but consists of a painful
reality that leaves a deep mark in people’s hearts.
Noting the role of these works in the twentieth-
century literature, it can be argued that they are
evidence of the real impact of global military
conflicts on the socio-cultural structures of the
community. The symbolism, imagery, and style
of these works help reveal the tragic nature of
war and the importance of peace, with the goal of
preventing similar horrors in the future.
So, the analysis of literary works about global
military conflicts during the 20th century reveals
the significant impact of these events on the
mentality of humanity and contributes to the
formation of a critical perception of the true
consequences of the military situation. They
create a dialogue between the past and the
present, and their messages become especially
relevant in a world where peace and balance are
a necessary condition for a dignified life for
humanity.
Discussion
We compare the obtained results with similar
works on the determined experimental vector.
Despite slightly different research focuses, this
work and the study of Ribeiro and Thomaz
(2023) and Nicolaescu (2018) demonstrate the
need to fight against stereotypical images when
studying the literary interpretation of armed
confrontations of global military conflicts of the
20th century. Both studies do not indicate the
need for a systemic rethinking of “war” creativity
in order to determine the still undefined factors
and aspects of the community’s sociocultural
response to military destruction. However, the
results of this study are more specific and give
grounds to determine the difference in the
authors’ approach to the coverage of World Wars
I and II.
The problems addressed by Shoebottom (2023)
correlate with the revealed aspects of this study
in terms of the selectivity of cultural memory
about the war. Scientist established the influence
of post-war paradigms on the interpretation of the
military context of historical events, as opposed
to the initial ideology under which military
actions were initiated. This aspect is superficially
confirmed in this study, establishing the fact that
a significant amount of war literature is created
by German authors.
According to the finding of Moreshead (2023)
and Ojeda Revah (2022), the dynamics of
changing the genre and stylistic presentation of
literary works and the formation of post-war
modernism are noted. The mentioned dynamics
are confirmed in this study, while clearer
characteristics of the transition from the general
concepts and fiction-realism of the war literature
of World War I to the autobiographical novels of
World War II are established.
One of the main aspects of this study and the
research by Mishra (2023), Petrauskas (2021)
and Post (2021) is that “war” literature destroys
the myths of romanticism and the success of
military actions, forming experiences of the real
horrors of war in the readers. Scientist, as well as
this study, also declares that literary works about
military conflicts make it possible to form a
thesis among a wide audience of readers that
military actions are a useless solution to conflicts
220
www.amazoniainvestiga.info ISSN 2322- 6307
and do not contribute to civilizational
development.
Wróblewski (2023) recorded the beginning of the
stylistic genre transition in war literature, which
was established in this study. The publication
states that literary works that reflect the personal
experiences of authors have the greatest response
among readers. This is empirically confirmed in
this study.
The article (Blažić, 2023; Massocco, 2022)
provides a substantive description of the use of
fictional stylistics to convey the horrors of war.
This study found that this approach is more
characteristic of the war literature of World War
I.
This study, like the study by Ugli (2022), records
the direct impact of global military conflicts of
the 20th century on literature. The conclusions
regarding the importance of the literary
interpretation of the historical context of terrible
military actions and armed confrontations
correlate.
Campobasso (2022), Nowakowska (2023) and
Stingle (2023) note the importance of the literary
response to the terrifying consequences of the
war. This study, as the publication by scientist
recorded that the literary interpretation of
military actions allows to rethink their moral
context and warn future generations.
This study also confirmed the thesis of Dagnino
(2022) that not only war affects literature, but
also war literature affects other aspects of socio-
cultural activity: from religion to political
attitudes. The literature on global military
conflicts of the 20th century was one of the main
elements of the socio-cultural sphere that shaped
the moral and ethical principles of post-war
communities.
The publication of Ferris (2022), as well as this
study, established the fact of genre-stylistic
dynamics of literary interpretation and literary
response to the global military conflicts of the
20th century, which in some places moved into
the plane of creative experimentation, thanks to
which new approaches and methods of
presenting creative material were formed.
However, this study records the transition from
fiction realism to autobiographical works, and
the study by scientist establishes the connection
between spatiality and visuality in post-war
literature.
In general, this study significantly correlates with
the conclusions of the reviewed relevant and
current studies, but contains more substantive
observations that indicate the evolution of war
literature and its influence on the moral and
ethical values of the post-war community.
Conclusions
Relevance
History teaches humanity many lessons about the
futility and outright worthlessness of armed
conflicts, but society constantly makes this
terrible mistake. Even now, the unprovoked
armed aggression of the Russian Federation
against Ukraine is ongoing in the centre of
Europe. Literature, as one of the vivid examples
of socio-cultural activity of the community, calls
for rethinking and moral and ethical assessment
of the historical context of the consequences of
global conflicts in order to prevent such
destructive effects in the future. The more a wide
circle of readers of war literature learns about the
horrors of war, the higher the probability of
preventing such frankly anti-civilizational
actions that plunge humanity into dark times. It
is relevant to popularize and convey the features
of the best examples of war literature, which has
the potential to influence society.
Findings
The research results gave grounds to make two
lists of literary works covering the events of the
World Wars I and II. The leading positions were
established according to the results of the expert-
reader rating: for World War I ‒ Der Weg zurück
by Erich Maria Remarque, for World War II ‒
Het Achterhuis by Anne Frank. The stylistic and
genre dynamics of the transition of the war
literature of the first sample, characterized
mostly by fiction realism, to the autobiographical
literary works of the second sample was
established. The results of the content analysis of
the leading works of war literature empirically
confirmed the change of the literary paradigm
from generalized structural reflections on
morality and ethics in the conditions of war
(during World War I) to the literary translation of
personal experiences and life experiences during
the military horrors (during World War II). The
authors of relevant and current publications also
testify to the results of this study in terms of
establishing the influence of global military
conflicts of the 20th century on literature and the
subsequent influence of literary reaction on other
socio-cultural manifestations. An interesting fact
is the established fact of sending German authors
in exemplary works of war literature.
Volume 12 - Issue 68
/ August 2023
221
http:// www.amazoniainvestiga.info ISSN 2322- 6307
Applications
The obtained research results are of practical
importance for various spheres of activity. They
can be used in the field of literary studies for
detailed analysis and interpretation of literary
works about global military conflicts of the 20th
century. Moreover, they can become the basis for
the preparation of teaching material for the study
of the theme of war and peace in literature in
Literature and History classes. The application of
the research results will help to raise awareness
about the real consequences of military conflicts
and will influence the formation of humanistic
values in society.
Prospects for Further Research
The study of the problem of war and peace in
literature can be expanded by including
additional literary works from various European
countries, which were also created under the
influence of global military conflicts. Comparing
the literary works of different authors and
national schools can shed light on the diversity of
approaches to depicting the theme of war and
peace. Besides, further research may include
examining the influence of these literary works
on contemporary literature and culture, as well as
their role in shaping society’s worldview and
moral values. Taking such aspects into account
will provide a more complete picture of the
impact of global military conflicts on European
literature and contribute to the development of a
humanistic worldview in the modern world.
Bibliographic references
Aldridge, J. W. (2019). After the Lost
Generation: A Critical Study of the Writers of
Two World Wars. Pickle Partners Publishing.
Retrieved from https://acortar.link/CxqY8I
Alexander, A. (2023). The ethics of violence:
Recent literature on the creation of the
contemporary regime of law and war. Journal
of Genocide Research, 25(2), 235-251.
https://doi.org/10.1080/14623528.2021.1985
809
ALSCW. (2023). Publications. Retrieved from
https://alscw.org/publications/
Blažić, M. M. (2023). Subversive youth
literature–a fairy tale play by Alenka
Gerlovič, Jurček and the Three Bandits
(1944), in context. ANGLISTICUM. Journal
of the Association-Institute for English
Language and American Studies, 12(1),
11-23.
http://dx.doi.org/10.58885/ijllis.v12i1.11.mb
Brett, L. (2016). Disquiet on the Western Front:
World War II and postmodern fiction.
Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Retrieved
from https://acortar.link/lpLG22
Bullock, P. R., Permiakova, S., & Stedman, G.
(2021). Introduction: The First World War
and its Aftermath: Literary Networks and
Cultural Encounters. Journal of European
Studies, 51(3-4), 184-191.
https://doi.org/10.1177/00472441211033387
Camarotto, V. (2021). Vento d'America:
Pirandello e le Scènes de la vie future (1930)
di Georges Duhamel. Vento d'America:
Pirandello e le Scènes de la vie future (1930)
di Georges Duhamel, 101-114.
https://doi.org/10.1400/287953
Сambridge Core. (2023). The Cambridge history
of literary criticism. Retrieved from
https://acortar.link/6xEZ1c
Campobasso, M. G. (2022). “Neider überall
zwingen uns zu gerechter Verteidigung”:
Legitimisation and De-Legitimisation of
World War I in German Dramatic Literature
by Andreas Dorrer. Journal of Austrian
Studies, 55(4), 76-78.
https://doi.org/10.1353/oas.2022.0073
Dagnino, J. (2022). Italian Catholics during the
1930s: The Role of the Laity, Ecclesiology,
Literature, and New Models of Sainthood in
the Age of Totalitarianism. Logos: A Journal
of Catholic Thought and Culture, 25(4),
100-121.
https://doi.org/10.1353/log.2022.0031
Dall'Igna, A. (2023). Il lavoro e il lavoratore
secondo Ernst Jünger e Simone Weil. CoSMo
Comparative Studies in Modernism, 22,
135-146. https://doi.org/10.13135/2281-
6658/7803
Ferris, N. (2022). Abstraction in Post-War
British Literature 1945-1980. Oxford
University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198852698.
001.0001
Gale. (2023). Scholarly Resources for Learning
and Research. Gale Literary Sources.
Retrieved from https://acortar.link/398dPc
Godin, C. (2019). About the Fire of Henri
Barbusse. Romanesque studies, 58-68.
Retrieved from https://acortar.link/Ee0OKr
Hart, K. (2023). Memory and the Jungian
Unconscious in JG Ballard’s
Autobiographical Narratives. Critique:
Studies in Contemporary Fiction, 1-13.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00111619.2023.2233
440
Kalangutkar, N. M. (2022). Understanding
Trauma Theory and Elizabeth Bowen's the
Heat of the Day. International Journal of
Research and Analytical Reviews, 9(2),
222
www.amazoniainvestiga.info ISSN 2322- 6307
736‒740. Retrieved from
https://cutt.ly/LwaKKLOZ
Kiesel, H. (2023). Silvan Kufner (University of
Regensburg) Armored trauma as a
psychoanalytic construction. Reflections on
psychological interpretation methods by
Ernst Jünger in Stahlgewitters, 329. The First
World War: Cultures of Remembrance in
Germany and Australia. V&R unipress.
Retrieved from https://www.vr-
elibrary.de/doi/pdf/10.14220/978373701521
9#page=329
Kristiawan, D., & Pandhamnurani, T. N. (2023).
Freedom Imagery in Viktor Frankl’s
Autobiography, Man’s Search for Meaning.
(Doctoral dissertation). University of
Technology Yogyakarta. Retrieved from
http://eprints.uty.ac.id/id/eprint/12431
Kröncke, M. (2020). Coincidence in Erich Maria
Remarques Nothing new in the West.
Monthly magazines, 112(3), 452-478.
https://doi.org/10.3368/m.112.3.452
Ladani, T., & Naghi, L. (2023). The concept of
death and sacrifice in war stories Case study:
The Wooden Crosses by Roland Dorgelès
and Water Never Dies by Hamid Hesam.
Journal of French Language Studies, 15(1),
1-14.
https://doi.org/10.22108/RELF.2023.137068
.1209
Lazarovych, M. (2023). The phenomenon of
socio-cultural activity of the Ukrainian Sich
Riflemen during the First World War. In:
Transformational processes of the social and
humanitarian sphere of modern Ukraine in
the conditions of war: Scientific projects of
the Faculty of Social and Humanities of ZNU
(pp. 229-266). Catholic University in
Ružomberok. Retrieved from
http://nauksgf.wunu.edu.ua/index.php/npsgf/
article/view/275
Lipárová, A. (2022). The theme of solidarity in
the novels The Seventh Cross (The seventh
cross) by Anna Seghers and The Spark of Life
(The spark of life) by Erich Maria Remarque.
(PhD thesis). Charles University, Milan.
Retrieved from
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11956/172784
Mašek, F. (2023). One hundred years of Švejk:
changes in the critical reception of Jaroslav
Hašek's novel. (thesis). Charles University,
Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of
Journalism. Prague. Retrieved from
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11956/182305
Massocco, M. (2022). A past that does not pass.
Representations of trauma in Primo Levi's
fiction. (Master's thesis). University of
Padua, Padua. Retrieved from
https://thesis.unipd.it/handle/20.500.12608/4
6615?mode=simple
Mishra, M. (2023). Challenging The
Effectiveness of War and Violence; A literary
Analysis of Their Futility in Two European
Texts. A literary Analysis of Their Futility in
Two European Texts (April 27, 2023).
http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4430693
Moreshead, A. (2023). 1960: When Art and
Literature Confronted the Memory of World
War II and Remade the Modern by Al Filreis.
MFS Modern Fiction Studies, 69(1),
176-178.
https://doi.org/10.1353/mfs.2023.0011
Nicolaescu, A. (2018). The fate of emigrants
roman Arc de Triomphe from Erich Maria
Remarque. Germanistic contributions, 43.
Retrieved from https://acortar.link/58xnpd
Nowakowska, M. (2023). Confrontational
mechanisms of negating sentence structures
using the example of Stefan Zweig's book
Impatience of the Heart. Jagiellonian Library.
Retrieved from
https://ruj.uj.edu.pl/xmlui/handle/item/31371
0
Ojeda Revah, M. (2022). From the Youth Revolt
to The Restoration of the Outmoded (Or, as
Robert Graves said, “Goodbye to all that”).
MiCISAN, Repositorio Institucional.
Retrieved from https://acortar.link/qfqM0o
PEN Ukraine. (2023). Publications. Retrieved
from https://pen.org.ua/
Petrauskas, L. (2021). Reconciliation to one’s
Fate: Irony, Humour and Stoicism as Coping
Mechanisms in Erich Maria Remarque’s The
Black Obelisk. (Bachelor's thesis). Utrecht
University. Retrieved from
https://studenttheses.uu.nl/handle/20.500.12
932/40479
Post, S. (2021). The front-line soldier's
homecoming. Literary representation and
configuration of war trauma and experiences
of violence using the example of Erich Maria
Remarque's The Way Back (1931). Forms of
violence-form violence (pp. 139-153).
Wilhelm Fink Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.30965/9783846766125_00
7
Reuter, A. (2023). The cultural memory
phenomenon Anne Frank on Instagram.
Digital Memory (pp. 204-218). Wallstein
Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.5771/9783835384477
Ribeiro, S. C., & Thomaz, J. (2023). The
Argonauts of the Western Front–Poets as
Ethnographers of the Culture de Guerre in the
First World War. Journal of War & Culture
Studies, 16(2), 128-147.
Volume 12 - Issue 68
/ August 2023
223
http:// www.amazoniainvestiga.info ISSN 2322- 6307
https://doi.org/10.1080/17526272.2023.2188
640
Shoebottom, B. (2023). Review of “War
Memories: Commemoration, Recollections
and Writings on War” edited by Stephanie
AH Bélanger and Renée Dickason. Canadian
Military History, 32(1), 18. Retrieved from
https://acortar.link/UAMPln
Stingle, S. L. (2023). On the Finite Wings of the
Irreducible: Pathos and the Anarchical
Temptations in Arthur Koestler’s Darkness at
Noon. (Master's Theses). LSU, 5768.
https://doi.org/10.31390/gradschool_theses.5
768
Strachan, H. (2017). The First World War as a
global war. In: The British Empire and the
First World War (pp. 35-46). Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315672939
Union of International Associations. (2023).
International Association for Ethical Literary
Criticism. UIA Yearbook Profile. Retrieved
from https://uia.org/s/or/en/1122279123
Ugli, K. O. U. (2022). On the study of the topic
of war in Western literature. Journal of
Pedagogical Inventions and Practices, 4,
140-143. Retrieved from
https://zienjournals.com/index.php/jpip/articl
e/view/706
Wróblewski, M. (2023). Stolen childhood. War
memories of children and young people from
1945-1946. Children's Literature in
Education. Springer, 1-16.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-023-09523-1
Zühlke, C. (2023). Elie Wiesel and a Legacy of
(Post-) Witnessing. Modern Judaism: A
Journal of Jewish Ideas And Experience,
43(2), 148-163.
https://doi.org/10.1093/mj/kjad003