About this Chapter
A Look at the Meuse-Argonne aims to provide a first-person look at World War I through the eyes of an American soldier. What would he see? How is it similar to or different from the experiences of French and German soldiers?
The U.S. soldiers fought over the same battleground in the Meuse-Argonne starting in 1917 that German and French troops had been fighting over since 1914. In addition to simulating the perspective of the average U.S. soldier, the chapter is designed to dispel assumptions and stereotypes about U.S. soldiers in World War I.
The activities within this chapter will help students answer the following questions:
- How have your stereotypes of World War I changed, if at all?
- How did the doughboy live day to day? How was his experience different from those of his allies and opponents?
- How many states and territories are represented at the Meuse-Argonne? What does this mean about the country at the time? Why do you think there is so little attention paid to World War I soldiers and veterans?
- Explain how the U.S. doughboy helped to define a new era in history?
This chapter is part of the iBook Bringing the Great War Home: Teaching With The Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, which was produced by ABMC in partnership with Learn NC and Virginia Tech. You can access individual elements of the iBook here on ABMC.gov, or you can download the full iBook through iTunes
In this Chapter:
- Section 1: Welcome to the Meuse-Argonne
- Section 2: Through a Soldier's Eyes
- Section 3: Reflection
- Section 4: Video Transcription
- Section 5: Credits and Disclaimer