In some ways, the American Expeditionary Forces marked the beginning of the United States as a superpower. It wasn't that the United States hadn't won wars before. It had. It wasn't that it hadn't beaten European powers before. It had. But World War I was the first time where the United States fought against and alongside the world's best armies on their home turf and showed that it was unequivocably as good as anyone. It was a defining period that marked one of several high points in the American Century.
The American involvement in World War I seems complex, but it isn't. The war started in August 1914, but it wasn't until April 1917 that the United States joined. It took another year before the ground forces of the American Expeditionary Forces saw action. First there was the Build Up.
Build Up, Draft, Training and Crossing the Atlantic
The land battles between that time and the end of the war were as follows:
Battle of Seicheprey, April 20, 1918, US 26th Infantry Division
Battle of Cantigny, May 1918, US 1st Infantry Division
Belleau Wood, US Marines & US Army
Chateau-Thierry, June 1918, various divisions
St. Mihiel Offensive, September 12 - 15, 1918, various divisions
Meuse-Argonne Offensive, September 26-November, 11, 1918, various divisions
Other key actions include:
Army of Occupation of Germany, November 12, 1918-1919, various divisions
Back to Top.