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THE MILITARY CONTRIBUTION
From April 1917 onwards, the United States was a full combatant in the war, but how significant was its involvement in securing an Allied victory? To answer this, it is useful to consider other factors that may have contributed to the defeat of the Central Powers.
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Austro-Hungarian POWs captured early in the war.
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American troops landing in France
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By the time American troops were present in Europe in significant numbers (March 1918), the war had lasted three-and-a-half years and the Central Powers were utterly exhausted. Austria-Hungary was close to famine and bankruptcy, and its multi-national empire was starting to disintegrate.
During 1917-18, Turkey had experienced a string of reverses at the hands of the British, and even Germany had been convulsed by waves of unrest: the Reichstag, Germany's parliament, passed a peace resolution in July 1917, and 400,000 Germans took to the streets in January 1918 to protest against the war and ongoing hunger.
The Americans' financial support of the Allies was extremely important during 1914-17. However, it shouldn't overshadow the contributions made by the Allied powers throughout the entire period, particularly Britain's naval blockade. American troops started arriving in Europe in significant numbers in spring 1918, but their performance was only one among a number of factors that contributed to Germany's downfall.
The Allies were becoming better organised throughout 1918, with Marshal Foch taking the position of supreme allied commander in March.
Allied tactics improved enormously. Tanks, guns, artillery and infantry were integrated into coordinated plans with realistic and achievable goals, a tactical development that the Germans never fully mastered.
American troops played an important role during the last three months of the war. However, it was probably the prospect of additional resources arriving from the US in the near future - rather than the actual performance of its troops in the field during 1918 - that prompted Germany's leaders to ask for a ceasefire.
CONCLUSION
The United States made a major contribution to the defeat of the Central Powers in 1918. Its bankers helped to fund the Allied war effort during 1914-17, and the threat of more money, men and materiel arriving after its entry into the war helped to propel Germany's leaders towards requesting a ceasefire in October 1918.
This promise of yet more American assistance - at a time when the Central Powers were close to breaking point - was probably more important than the actual contribution of US troops in the field. However, none of these considerations should overshadow the contributions made by all the Allied states during 1914-17 and thereafter.
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