Meuse–Argonne offensive

Quick Facts: Who was Meuse–Argonne offensive?

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Meuse–Argonne offensive

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Major final Allied offensive of WWI; the largest and deadliest US Army engagement.

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Origins & Early Life

The Meuse–Argonne offensive (also known as the Meuse River–Argonne Forest offensive, the Battles of the Meuse–Argonne, and the Meuse–Argonne campaign) was a major part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire Western Front. It was fought from September 26, 1918, until the Armistice of November 11, 1918, a total of 47 days. The Meuse–Argonne offensive was the largest in United States military history, involving 1.2 million American soldiers, sailors and marines, along with 800,000 French and 850 Siamese personnel. It is also the deadliest campaign in the history of the United States Army, resulting in over 300,000 casualties, including 28,000 German lives, 26,277 American lives and about 35,000 French lives. American losses were worsened by the inexperience of many of the troops, the tactics used during the early phases of the operation, and the widespread onset of the Spanish flu.

Career & Major Achievements

The offensive was the primary engagement of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in World War I and part of the Allies' Hundred Days Offensive that ended the war. It was the AEF's largest and bloodiest operation of the war, though relatively limited in scale compared to other Western Front battles and secondary to the main Allied offensive axis. The logistical prelude to the Meuse attack was planned by American Colonel George C. Marshall who managed to move American units to the front after the Battle of Saint-Mihiel (Saint-Mihiel is a town on the river Meuse, the most important water obstacle on the Western Front). The Allied breakthroughs (north, center, and east) across the length of the front line in September and October 1918 – including the Battle of the Argonne Forest – are now lumped together as part of what is generally remembered as the Grand Offensive (also known as the Hundred Days Offensive) by the Allies on the Western Front. The Meuse–Argonne offensive also involved troops from France, while the rest of the Allies, including France, Britain and its dominion and imperial armies (mainly Canada, Australia, and New Zealand), and Belgium contributed to major battles in more northwestern sectors of the Western Front, including the Hindenburg line.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

After Operation Michael, the 1918 German offensive, began well but ended with the disaster of Reims in front of the French and at Amiens to British forces. The French and British armies systematically pushed back a German army whose efficiency was decreasing rapidly. Before the offensive, the German soldiers had occupied the Meuse-Argonne area for years, including the east side of Meuse River and the Argonne Forest. They built fortified trenches and machine gun posts within the forest. British, French, and Belgian advances in the northwestern sectors of the front, along with the French–American advances around the Argonne Forest, are credited for leading directly to the Armistice of November 11, 1918.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1918: 1918 Milestone — It was fought from September 26, 1918, until the Armistice of November 11, 1918, a total of 47 days.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Meuse–Argonne offensive

True or False: “The Meuse–Argonne Offensive was the first major American military operation of World War I.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): It was the primary engagement of the AEF in World War I and part of the Allies' Hundred Days Offensive, occurring late in the war.

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