Wednesday 12th August 2026

Tony Tailor-Neale

The US Army in the First World War Having won what many historians have called the first modern war in 1865 (American Civil War) the skills developed were lost by 1898 when US faced the remains of the Spanish Empire.

With a population supporting neutrality in the First World War the US. Army could only watch, and plan for its probable entry on the Western Front.

From a small volunteer force there were many problems to surmount in creating a mass army – recruiting, training, equipping, and finding the necessary leaders with the skills and vision to lead to the effort in moving a mass army across the Atlantic. All the time weighed down by being an “Associated” and not an “Allied” power – as imposed by President Wilson.

The initial German view of the army, and its reaction to its entry on the Western Front is investigated.

It was over a year after the declaration of war that American combat units fought their first serious planned engagement at Cantigny. How the subsequent engagements from Belleau Wood to the Argonne Forest escalated in size and complexity showed an army learning its trade from private to Commander, and highlights some of the outstanding officers.

There is an assessment of just what was the significance of the US contribution to Allied victory in 1918, and how the veterans were subsequently treated.