Page 8 - Desert Lightning News April 7, 2017

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From WWI, Page 6
– went to their mobilization points
and joined their units.
Large standing armies
Germany, France, Russia and
Austria-Hungary had large stand- ing armies and reserve formations in 1914 that the nations could call up in the event of a war. Great Brit- ain maintained a robust naval re- serve, but did not have a commen- surate universal service reserve for its army.
“Britain and the United States didn’t see the need for universal ser- vice because of the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean. Those were two pretty good barriers,” Neumann said. “But after the war broke out, Britain began building its army.”
In 1917, Britain had an army of roughly 4 million soldiers, not counting the contributions of Can- ada, Australia, New Zealand, India and the other parts of its empire. At its peak, the French army had 8.3 million “poilus” — as the French called their soldiers. The German army had 11 million under arms,
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Library of Congress photo
Soldiers undergo training in 1917 with a Lewis machine gun at Camp Mills, New York.
forces, grant leave and order no new offensives. His strategy “was to wait for the tanks and the Americans.”
This was the situation Persh- ing faced when he arrived in France on June 10. A cobbled together U.S. Army provisional division — which morphed into the 1st Division, “the Big Red One” – began arriving later in the month to a rapturous welcome.
And more would be coming. Af- ter surveying the strategic situation, Pershing sent a telegram to the War Department: “Plans contemplate sending over at least one million men by next May.”
the Ottoman Empire had 2.9 mil- lion, Russia had 12 million, and Austria-Hungary had 7.8 million.
The United States had to match that level of manpower.
What’s more, it had to be an American army. The United States did not formally join the alliance against Germany. Rather it was an Associated Power, which meant the United States would work with the Allies, but would be free to pursue its own strategic objectives.
Pershing takes command
Wilson and Secretary of War Newton Baker chose Army Gen. John Pershing to lead what would become the American Expedition- ary Forces in France. Much of his time in France would be spent sim- ply building -- and protecting -- the independent American presence in the country.
While many Americans rushed to recruiting stations and enlisted, the War Department recommend- ed a draft to build what was called the National Army.
The Selective Service Act passed on May 18, 1917, and all men age 21 to 30 were required to register with local draft boards. Overall, 24,234,021 men registered for the draft, and inductees comprised 66 percent of those who served.
Army infrastructure
Pershing decided each American division would have four infantry regiments, an artillery brigade and ancillary units to allow it to func- tion. Each would have 28,000 sol- diers — about two to three times the size of British or French divi- sions. Desperate situation
By April 1917, a million soldiers in the French army had been killed. French soldiers had had enough, and about half of its infantry divi- sions refused to fight. These muti- nies — which the Germans never found out about — caused the com- mander to resign and brought Gen. Philippe Petain, the hero of Verdun, to command of French forces. Pet- ain, who collaborated with the Na- zis in World War II, would rest the