The Good Soldier Švejk is a biting satire of war and authority, set during World War I in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Jaroslav Hašek introduces Švejk, a seemingly simple-minded yet cunning soldier whose absurd obedience exposes the incompetence and corruption of military and political systems.
Through Švejk’s misadventures, Hašek mocks the rigid structures of the ancien régime, portraying the soldier’s survival tactics as a form of quiet rebellion against authority. While rooted in early 20th-century Central Europe, the novel’s sharp critique of power remains timeless.
