The American Army In Germany 1918 1923

The American Army in Germany, 1918–1923: Success against the Odds by Dean A. Nowowiejski fills a gap in American military and political history through thorough research and a compelling narrative of the Rhineland occupation. After the armistice ended the fighting on the Western Front in World War I, the US Third Army marched into the American occupation zone around the city of Koblenz, Germany, in December 1918. American forces remained there as part of an “inter-Allied” coalition until early 1923. Nowowiejski reintroduces us to a successful military diplomat, Major General Henry T. Allen, who faced two major challenges: build an efficient army and handle the complexity of working with the Allied powers of France, Britain, and Belgium in the Inter-Allied Rhineland High Commission (IARHC). Allen’s ability to balance the interests of the French with those of the occupied Germans made him an indispensable participant in the High Commission. As the French sought revenge and added security against Germany, Allen moderated their actions with diplomatic skill. When the French sent forces into Germany in 1920 and 1921, Allen ensured that the US zone around Koblenz remained free of French interference. These achievements were without the support of the administration, and Congress had no desire to take part in European affairs. Allen also had to create a competent American army in the Rhineland so that the Allied powers and the Germans would respect American views and interests. He successfully took a large number of new recruits, who replaced World War I combat veterans, and molded them into a professional fighting force. As a result, the American Forces in Germany became an exemplar for the entire US Army and a symbol to the Allies and Germans of American power and resolve. This force competently accomplished the difficult task of postwar occupation according to the highest international standards. The US administration made the decision in 1922 to radically cut back the size of Allen’s army, and in 1923 to remove all US troops from Germany. The author analyzes this withdrawal as a “missed opportunity” for US leverage on diplomatic developments in Europe.

Have you ever heard of the American occupation of the Rhineland after World War I? When the war in Europe was over on November 11th, 1918, an American Army of Occupation comprising 250,000 men started moving from France towards the east. Their destination: The Rhine. In the armistice, Germany had granted the victorious powers the right to occupy the Rhineland. And so it happened that thousands and thousands of young Americans came to a land full of castles, vineyards and centuries-old traditions. In their headquarters in Koblenz, the American Army of Occupation controlled large areas along the rivers Rhine and Mosel. Not only did they get to know the local customs, they also brought their own culture with them. Donuts, baseball or American football became a common thing in the Rhineland. And last but not least, there were the German Fräuleins that attracted the young Americans. Only in 1923, the last occupation troops left the Rhineland. Today, this part of German-American history is almost completely forgotten. The German historian Marc Holzheimer intends to change this. In his book, he retells the story of the American Occupation of the Rhineland. It covers the events along Rhine and Mosel as well as the political context in international affairs. Furthermore, the book contains plenty of contemporary photographs, which allow the reader to get a real impression of the occupation time. The American Occupation of the Rhineland, 1918-1923 - worth reading for anyone who is interested in history!

America's involvement in WWI marked its first major entry into European politics. The final cost of that involvement required the U.S. to supply a force to occupy part of the German Rhineland after the war. The force provided was first known as Third Army and then later as the American Forces in Germany (AFG). It consisted of the best divisions in the American Army. With a starting strength of a quarter million doughboys, the Americans marched to the Rhine and began their occupation period in December 1918. When the American phase of the occupation ended in 1923, the force consisted of one thousand soldiers. Many future WWII leaders of the Army and Marine Corps served in this force; including five who would become Marine Commandant, four Army Chiefs of Staff, ten four-star Generals, and, surprisingly, a National Football League Head coach.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1975.