What is the theme in A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin?

Pacifism or opposition to war emerges in the personalities of Alessandro Giuliani who is fond of leaving his military unit for Venice. This is also apparent in the counter-aggressive moves of the brigadier general Strassnitzky, who immediately orders his troops to run in the opposite direction whenever they encounter violence. The theme of pacifism is closely linked to the patent absurdity of war in a manner very similar to the American novel of World War II, "Catch-22."