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“Sherman was Right”: The Experience of AEF Soldiers in the Great War

Gutierrez, Edward Anthony

Abstract Details

2008, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, History.
When the United States declared war in the spring of 1917, American men went to war with idyllic visions of warfare. This study explores the state of mind of the AEF soldier during the Great War, an issue that has challenged scholars in the field since the troops returned home. With the use of Military Service Records (MSRs or questionnaires) issued in 1919 from four states as its core source, this dissertation argues that the American cultural glorification of warfare created an impetuous doughboy, who believed war was a game and the path to manhood. Employing these neglected firsthand descriptions of the war in the uncensored words of veterans provides understanding of American military identity; it removes the uniform and studies the individual – whether it is an aristocratic New Englander who hungered to prove his masculinity or an African American blacksmith fighting for his equality. Cultural differences aside, the naïveté of the doughboy was overwhelming; he believed the war would be an enjoyable adventure, but learned General Sherman was right – war is hell.
Geoffrey Parker, PhD (Advisor)
John Guilmartin, PhD (Committee Member)
Peter Mansoor, PhD (Committee Member)
Brian Joseph, PhD (Other)
Leonard Smith, PhD (Other)
295 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Gutierrez, E. A. (2008). “Sherman was Right”: The Experience of AEF Soldiers in the Great War [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1228073243

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Gutierrez, Edward. “Sherman was Right”: The Experience of AEF Soldiers in the Great War. 2008. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1228073243.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Gutierrez, Edward. "“Sherman was Right”: The Experience of AEF Soldiers in the Great War." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1228073243

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)