Question

Why did President Wilson order that American soldiers were to fight in separate units under American command? He did not trust the Allied forces not to sacrifice Americans first. He wanted to position the U.S. to influence the postwar settlement. He hoped to gain European territory for the U.S. during the fighting. He believed the Allied commanders had demonstrated a lack of ability.

Answer 1

Woodrow Wilson gave clear and precise orders to General John Pershing, appointed as Supreme Commander of the U.S. Army Expeditionary Forces, stating that U.S. troops could only be commanded by U.S. officers. One of the reasons for this firm stand was that president Wilson was afraid of the French commanders protecting their own troops by using the U.S. troops as "cannon fodder," this is, order them to take part in dangerous situations resulting in heavy casualties. The other reason was a matter of nationalism since the U.S public opinion would have never approved of the "dough boys" (nickname of U.S. servicemen in World War I) serving under officers from a foreign country.

Answer 2

The answer is very simple: domestic politics.

President Wilson feared two things:

1) That the Allies would use the untrained and badly equipped troops as cannon fodder.

2) That US troops under foreign command would lead to public outcry.

So far, US troops had only been placed under foreign command once (US Navy at Shanghai Station under British command in 1900). This was not well received in the American press back then.

Now in reality, General Pershing, in his wisdom, realized that Allied help was needed to properly train and equip the American Expeditionary Force.

The French trained and equipped the American troops and even integrated coloured American troops in French front line units as the US Army was strictly segregated.

The US troops fought in reality under French command (and some under Belgian command as well) although the French orders were officially issued as 'suggestions' to limit political fallout in the US.

The trick worked.