All Quiet on the Western Front initial views

Upon reading the first chapter of All Quiet on the Western Front, one idea that has become evident is that the war drains the morale of the soldiers fighting in it, and something as simple as a few packets of cigarettes is all it takes to make the soldiers feel better. "The most important thing, though, is that there are double rations of tobacco as well." Similar ideas are present in Birdsong (except with extra rest rather than extra cigarettes), as Stephen suggests that a few days away from the front line are enough to 'heal' a soldier, which Stephen describes as being a 'cruel trick', due to the ability of rest making a soldier aware of the horrors of war which they were previously numb to.