why was the meuse-argonne offensive a significant battle of wwi
Meuse-Argonne Offensive The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, also known as the Maas-Argonne Offensive and the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a major part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire Western Front. It was fought from 26 September 1918 until the Armistice of 11 November 1918, a total of 47 days. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was the largest in United States military history, involving 1.2 million American soldiers. It was one of a series of Allied attacks known as the Hundred Days Offensive, which brought the war to an end. The battle cost 28,000 German lives and 26,277 American lives. It was the largest and bloodiest operation of World War I for the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), which was commanded by General John J. Pershing, and the second-most deadly battle in American history. American losses were exacerbated by the inexperience of many of the troops, and tactics used during the early phases of the operation.
American Expeditionary Forces The American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) was the expeditionary force of the United States Army during World War I. It was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of Gen. John J. Pershing. During the United States campaigns in World War I it fought, alongside French and British troops, against the German Empire. Some of the troops fought alongside Italian forces in that same year, against the Austro-Hungarian Army. It helped the French Army on the Western Front during the Aisne Offensive (at Château-Thierry and Belleau Wood) in June 1918, and fought its major actions in the Saint-Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne Offensives in late 1918.