Role Played by American Troops in the Second Battle of the Marne
After a bitter debate over how best to use American troops in World War I, it was determined that they would serve under General John J. Pershing, but accept the final strategic authority from the Allied Supreme Commander, Marshall Ferdinand Foch of France. Initially, American troops were used piecemeal to plug up holes and to drive Germans back, when possible. By 1918, American troops were fully engaged. They secured their first victory in May, at Cantigny, just north of Paris. They suffered terrible losses in June at Belleau Wood, but still claimed victory.
The real turning point came at the second Battle of the Marne, in July, where the combined efforts of the French, British, Italians, and Americans counteracted the German offensive and drove the Germans eastward. Notably, Americans soldiers, fresh to the war effort and not weighed down by years of fighting, provided a decisive edge. In the fall of 1918, Pershing lost over 100,000 men as he and the other Allied leaders continued to push the Germans back. By October 1918, Americans were behind German lines cutting supply lines, and in November 1918, Germany surrendered.
Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you describe the specific role played by American troops in the Second Battle of the Marne, and in the months that followed between the battle and the German surrender in November 1918.
Include the following points in your paper:
Analysis of the role played by American troops in the Second Battle of the Marne, and subsequent engagements with the Germans
Discussion of weaponry used by soldiers in World War I, including but not limited to bayonets, flamethrowers, machine guns, pistols, mustard gas, rifles, tanks, and trench mortars
Discussion of the soldiers' experiences, including but not limited to fighting in the trenches, the smell, boredom, lice, rats, food, common injuries, and battlefield engagement
Format your paper according to appropriate course level APA guidelines.
Role Played by American Troops in the Second Battle of the Marne
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The First World War
World War I is one of the most destructive and bloodiest wars ever in the modern history of warfare. The war left a devastating global impact on humanity. The central powers engaged in the war – Britain, France, Germany – failed to make any significant gains, despite their numerous efforts to make advancements, leading to massive casualties. The decision to enter the war by the United States in 1917 was essential in shaping the outcome of the war. The Americans were instrumental in the collapse of the German military and their eventual call for a ceasefire (Taylor, 2013). In 1916, the US had resolved not to meddle in the European conflict; however, this changed after German submarines attacked US targets, pushing the President to ask Congress to declare war on Germany. By 1918, more than 4 million American soldiers were actively engaged in the war.
American involvement in the war started gradually in 1917 and gained full momentum in 1918. Scholars concur that American war efforts were instrumental in repelling and stopping all German advances, culminating in Germany’s ultimate defeat. One of the notable military achievements of the Americans was the Second Battle of Marne, which the Third Infantry Division fought (Arnold-friend, 2009). After fighting in Marne, American troops continued to push Germans back to their lines, occupied Germany, cut their supply lines, and finally forced tier surrender. This paper will explore the events that unfolded during the Second Battle of Marne, discuss the weaponry used, and describe the experiences of soldiers during the war.
Second Battle of Marne and American Participation
The Second Battle of Marne marked the turning point of the first global war. From March 1918, the Germans had continuously launched devastating attacks that culminated in a tremendous advance unlike anything experienced in the previous four years (Coode, 2008). By the end of May, the German forces had advanced to the Marne River, where they had been halted by the Allied forces in 1914. Marne was a strategic military position as it was a direct route to Paris; both Germans and Allies knew that winning the Marne was crucial in winning the war. The Germans were on the verge of victory, facing faint resistance from the French soldiers who were too weary of mounting a significant resistance. However, fresh and battle-ready American troops tipped the battle’s outcome by halting the advancing German forces and triggering an offensive by the Allies. By July, the French army, which included numerous American divisions, staged several attacks that managed to push the Germans back from the Marne to River Vesle (Coode, 2008). The outcome of this battle, which is primarily credited to the Americans, was decisive enough and ensured that the Germans did not attempt any other offensive attack until the ceasefire later in the year.
The significance of this achievement was not lost on the French soldiers and Generals; they were aware and appreciated the principal role played by the American troops in Marne. Historians describe the decisive meaning of the American involvement in the 2nd Marne Battle in striking the decisive blow to the German army. The powerful American troops helped crush the enemy’s last major offensive, which condemned them to their defeat. This victory was ensured by the dominance of American forces at vital battle positions coupled with military success in critical areas of the offensive (Arnold-Friend, 2009). Americans are credited with showing valor and taking chances that the French soldiers could not have dared to. This was attributed to the freshness of the Americans in the war as opposed to the French forces. However, the courage and heroics shown by the American troops came at heavy causalities, which is attributed mainly to the inexperience within the army.
Weapons of World War I
The First World War was an armed conflict between industrialized nations that were well-equipped with modernized weapons. The war triggered the emergence of powerful weaponry such as machine guns, airplanes, and heavy artillery, which made 19th Century weaponry such as bayonets obsolete (Hamilton, 2010). This section describes the weapons used by soldiers in the war, which is regarded as the first modern war.
Rifles.
Rifles were a standard issue for all infantrymen, making them the most common weapon in the war. The rifles of the Allied Army had killing ...