How did Camil Petrescu connect war with the experiences of intellectuals in his novels?

In the context of Romanian literature, Camil Petrescu explored the profound intersection between war and the individual through his seminal novel Ultima noapte de dragoste, întâia noapte de război (1930; "The Last Night of Love, the First Night of War").1

Petrescu utilized this work to examine the specific struggles of intellectuals who found themselves caught under the immense pressure of historical events, such as World War I. By focusing on the internal experiences of his characters, he highlighted the tension between personal life and the external, often destructive, forces of war. This thematic focus on the relationship between the individual and the conflict became a defining characteristic of his writing, illustrating how the intellectual's psyche is shaped and challenged by the realities of combat and national crisis.1