ABSTRACT
Tucked away in the Chateau de Vincennes on the eastern edge of Paris lies hidden treasure: a wealth of material documenting the activities of American soldiers in France during the First World War. Unnoticed in their wartime work by most American officials, French liaison officers reported weekly to their superiors on the everyday workings of the American army. Interested primarily in the fighting abilities of American troops, French liaison officers analyzed their training, leadership, performance, progress, and failures. The social history side of the Franco-American relationship was also preserved by these observers who, after the French mutinies of 1917, considered troop morale extremely important. The French-American alliance was a work in progress, dependent on constant negotiation between statesmen, generals, and troops in the field to get beyond the differences imposed by geographical distance, culture, combat experience and race. Seeking to preserve stability within this desperately-needed alliance, these exposes did not shy away from detailing the struggle taking place along the Allied side of the Western Front.
