World War 1 Soldier Paper

Words: 1183
Pages: 5

World War I Soldier Paper

HIS/120 U.S. HISTORY 1865 TO 1945

* * Analysis of the role played by American troops in the Second Battle of the Marne and subsequent engagements with the Germans *
Although US troops assumed mainly a support role in this action, the battle came to be known as the beginning of the end for Germany. 85,000 US troops participated, with 12,000 casualties, gaining the praise of not only their own officers, but the French and British commanders as well. "During this time a single regiment of the 3rd Division rewrote one of the most luminous pages in our military history, it prevented the crossing at certain points on its front, while on either flank the Germans who had gained a footing pressed
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Food was scarce and hardly appetizing drinking water often had to be transported in used fuel cans and though they were cleaned thoroughly they still tainted the water's taste. Many soldiers suffering from shell-shock or post traumatic stress disorder were executed as cowards as the mental disorder had not yet recognized by the medical community (). In the context of World War I, leadership meant not just yelling "Follow me!” jumping out of a trench and charging across no-man’s-land while trusting your subordinates to follow you ("Army Leadership", 2007). A whole host of actions and inactions by leaders went into building the trust of subordinates so that they would follow you. These actions included such things as training, ensuring the health and welfare of your soldiers by making sure they were fed, they got to the medics when necessary, they had sufficient rest time, that fatigue details were apportioned fairly, that mail was distributed as soon as received, that leaders led by example, and most importantly that they were treated fairly in disciplinary matters ("Army Leadership", 2007). Nothing will destroy a units morale faster that if they see capricious administration of discipline. The basic, and easiest, part of assuring subordinates welfare is the provisioning "beans and bullets" in army lingo.
The second and hardest part of military leadership is the training part and leading by example. Training means ensuring that