The American Arrival

American entry in 1917 brought hope and complications to the Western Front. French soldiers, exhausted after three years, saw Americans as salvation. The first US troops parading in Paris on July 4, 1917, received rapturous welcome. "Lafayette, nous voici!"—Lafayette, we are here!—symbolized historical bonds renewed.

Reality proved complex. American inexperience led to heavy casualties in early engagements. French officers, assigned as advisors, struggled with American independence and different tactical concepts. Language barriers caused confusion. American insistence on separate sectors rather than integration into French units created logistical challenges.

Yet American presence boosted French morale immeasurably. Fresh troops, seemingly unlimited resources, and optimism contrasted with French exhaustion. By 1918, two million Americans in France tipped the balance. French soldier André Pézard wrote: "They are naive, these Americans, but their naivety is strength. They believe victory possible because they haven't yet learned defeat."