American Expeditionary Forces

The American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) were the United States Army forces deployed to Europe during World War I under General John J. Pershing.

John J. Pershing: John J. Pershing was a U.S. Army general who commanded the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. Pershing insisted that U.S. troops fight as an American force rather than be absorbed into Allied armies.
Cantigny: Cantigny was a village in northern France captured by U.S. forces on May 28, 1918. The attack was the AEF’s first major independent offensive operation.
United States entry into World War I: The United States entered World War I in April 1917, declaring war on Germany after years of neutrality. The declaration created the political and military basis for deploying the AEF to Europe.
Armistice of 11 November 1918: The Armistice of 11 November 1918 ended the fighting between the Allies and Germany in World War I. The AEF’s continued operations helped sustain Allied pressure until the armistice took effect.
Services of Supply, American Expeditionary Forces: The AEF’s Services of Supply organized transport, depots, construction, and other logistical support in Europe. Its work moved millions of tons of supplies from French ports to the AEF’s armies.
Battle of Belleau Wood: The Battle of Belleau Wood was a June 1918 battle in which U.S. Marines and Army troops fought German forces near the Marne. The fighting became a prominent example of American troops reinforcing the Allied defense during the German spring offensives.
Selective Service Act of 1917: The Selective Service Act of 1917 authorized conscription to expand the U.S. armed forces during World War I. The act supplied millions of soldiers needed to enlarge the AEF.
Treaty of Versailles: The Treaty of Versailles was the 1919 peace treaty that formally ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied powers. The treaty followed the campaign in which the AEF helped defeat Germany, though the United States never ratified it.
American First Army: The American First Army was the first major U.S. field army organized in France during World War I. It became the AEF’s main operational formation during the Saint-Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne offensives.
Battle of Saint-Mihiel: The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a September 1918 Allied offensive led by the American First Army against the German salient in France. It was the first major operation planned and executed by an American army as an independent force.

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