AEF Literature Fundamentals

Robert — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:53:53 +0000

Some important works that have laid a solid foundation for the development of American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) literature include those by Dr. Mark Groteleuschen. My masters thesis, on the role of the Coast Artillery Corps during the First World War, drew heavily on Grotelueschen’s research on AEF field artillery (AEF Way of War The American Army and Combat in World War I and Doctrine under trial: American Artillery Employment in World War I). His focus on the field artillery aspects of the war caught my attention because it was the first original argument I had encountered. Grotelueschen argued that there was a wealth of new information waiting to be found in the areas of small unit/brigade level assessments. Earlier research by Edward Coffman had established the basis for AEF historiography by being the first scholar to write a comprehensive history of the American contribution. Later historians John S. D. Eisenhower, Garry Mead and David Trask based much of their work on the conclusions of Coffman, by focusing on General John Pershing and highlighting Pershing’s doctrinal shortcomings. The emphasis on individual AEF officers, however, limited the use of Eishenhower, Mead and Trask’s findings. It is important to note that many people too readily assume that because of America’s short involvement in the Great War, there are not a lot of issues to explore. On the contrary, the intricacies of many AEF battles have yet to be thoroughly discussed. Of note, there has been only a single, yet narrow, publication on the Battle of Soissons. Historians Douglas V. Johnson and Rolfe L. Hillman wrote Soissons, 1918 in the 1920s, and to date there has not been a definitive account of the battle. Historian Paul Briam wrote on the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of 1917. In this work, Braim does what many AEF historians often neglect; he discussed an actual battle. Nevertheless, Braim’s work is limited in detail as he failed to discuss the impact of key units in the battle.

Shortcomings in the existing literature furnish an opportunity to broaden and deepen our understanding of the Meuse-Argonne offensive as well as other engagements. While little work is being done on the AEF, other First World War fields are generating new interest. Recent assessments of First World War scholarship, for example, have underscored the need for studies on the Imperial German Army’s non-Prussian units. Certainly, such research needs to be conducted, but there is also a need for similar analysis of the AEF. Dr. Groteleuschen noted that the Field Artillery serves as an example of good American branch level doctrine and battlefield performance. Such an approach can also be applied to the study of other important branches of the AEF. This observation was supported by my research, in which I argued that the Coast Artillery Corps played a crucial role in the development of a mobile heavy artillery arm of the AEF, a conclusion reached without benefit of any major works on the subject. A thorough study on the heavy artillery arm of the AEF should be a major component of the revitalization of the field. As a result, I wish to explore the impact of AEF heavy artillery on the First World War, with possible emphasis on the Meuse-Argonne Campaign.

Thompson Werk » American Expeditionary Forces

AEF Literature Fundamentals