Pershing in Command

A history of General John J Pershing and the AEF. When the United States entered the Great War, John J Pershing was chasing Mexican bandits and the US Army was a constabulary of frontier cavalrymen. In a year Pershing transformed that constabulary into a modern army ready to strike the decisive blow against the Kaiser's war machine. Through force of will and with the backing of Washington Pershing built an army in his image, counting on 'open warfare' tactics to win where the British and French has lost. Chapter I: A Frontier Constabulary The army in 1917, the Philippines, Poncho Villa Chapter II: Legacies The Civil War and the American mind Chapter III: The Man Pershing Laclede, young Pershing, West Point, the frontier, law school Chapter IV: Frustration and Ennui Pershing’s vision, open warfare, The AEF arrives in France, training camps, quiet sectors Chapter V: The Bureaucratic Struggle The battle for an American army, crisis on the Marne, the April conference Chapter VI: On the Marne Salient The AEF’s first battles, Rock of the Marne, Cantigny, Belleau Wood, Soissons Chapter VII: Slug up the Marne, Lessons Learned the Hard Way, The Marne, the Ourcq, the Vesle Chapter VIII: False Victory at St. Mihiel The 1st Army goes into action Chapter IX: The Meuse-Argonne, Pershing, The battle from 26 September till 16 October Chapter X: The Meuse-Argonne, Liggett saves the battle, reorganization, change in tactics, the 1 November attack -Conclusion Pershing fades away, MacArthur, Patton, Marshall