The American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in Europe was led by General John J. Pershing. He had been adamant about joining the allied forces as he wanted to maintain the sovereignty of the American troops. He had not wanted to join the allied forces armies as he had been doubtful of the allied operations' success. He, however, created a model through which the AEF later joined the allied operations, which saw the armistice with Germany. Pershing's decision was, therefore, instrumental in ending the first world war. His decision to remain independent not only led to Germany's defeat but also led to American's having a noticeable contribution to the first world war, among other benefits.
The effect of General Pershing's decisions to keep US forces Independent
Pershing was a military leader who had fought in numerous wars like the Spanish-American War and the Indian Wars before WW1. In 1917, President Wilson chose him to command the AEF in the first world war (Neiberg, & Johnson, 2010). It was also during this time that the German army had made significant victories in the war while the allied forces had been suffering from their depleted army (Weyrauch, 2010). Pershing had been insistent on remaining independent from the allied operations as he had been forbidden by the president from amalgamating the American army (Neiberg, & Johnson, 2010). The allied forces wanted to amalgamate the American troops into their depleted army since the allied forces had been fighting in the war for a longer period than the American army, thus were more experienced (Weyrauch, 2010). He ultimately joined the allied forces but still maintained the independence of the American army up until the major general level.
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The decision of General Pershing in keeping the US forces independent had several effects. First, his decision led to the signing of an agreement by the then president in mid-September of 1917, which authorized Pershing to amalgamate the American army if needed (Neiberg, & Johnson, 2010). This was a response to the request of the French and British that allowed Pershing to amalgamate his troops with the allied forces to units similar to the company. His decisions led to the division of the AEF into units that were led by more experienced allied forces (Weyrauch, 2010). Pershing's decision helped the Americans learn about modern war from the experienced European leaders on how to fight a coalition war. His decision also gave General Eisenhower a unique model to use in building his alliance in WWII.
His decision to remain independent but under the strategic leadership of experienced European leaders also led to the saving of many American lives as they were inexperienced in modern warfare. Pershing knew that his army was unprepared and significantly lacking in the needed skills to fight such a war (Weyrauch, 2010). His decision also saw the AEF win several key battles like the Meuse-Argonne offensive and the battle of Saint-Mihiel (Library of Congress, n.d). His decision made America's contribution to the war noticeable, which had been a key concern of the president before deploying the American troops to aid the allied forces (Neiberg, & Johnson, 2010). His decision, therefore, led to celebrating the American army as heroes who led to the end of the first world war through Germany's armistice.
Conclusion
Pershing was a military leader who had fought in numerous wars before WWI. He had been chosen by the then-president to lead the AEF sent to Europe. Pershing was adamant about amalgamating the American army with the allied forces. He, however, ended up creating a model that not only saw his troops learn the modern war but also led to the defeat of Germany.
References
Library of Congress. (n.d). Great war and jazz age (1914-1928). http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/jazz/jb_jazz_pershing_1.html
Neiberg, M, S.& Johnson, K, H. (2010). Pershing's Decision: How the United States Fought its First Modern Coalition War. https://www.army.mil/article/49291/pershings_decision_how_the_united_states_fought_its_first_modern_coalition_war
Weyrauch, K. C. (2017). General John J. Pershing: Critical Observations and Experiences in Manchuria and Mexico. US Army School for Advanced Military Studies Fort Leavenworth United States. https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/1039972.pdf
