Date
8-20-2026
Department
College of Arts and Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD)
Chair
John T. Broom
Keywords
America, Western Front, World War I, Great War
Disciplines
History
Recommended Citation
Synowietz, Ryan, "America's Influence on the Western Front During World War I" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8722.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8722
Abstract
In the years leading up to the Great War, many observers and political leaders reported that America was unprepared for an armed conflict. The United States lacked the military manpower and equipment to deploy troops to Europe effectively to support the war effort when the war commenced. During the Great War, the American Army grew from a force of 100,000 professionals to a combat-trained force of 4,000,000 men. The Navy also changed rapidly, from a force built around a few powerful battleships to one of hundreds of vessels trained to combat submarines. Americans jumped in to support the war effort, enabling a 2-million-man expeditionary force to deploy 3,000 miles from home and fight alongside European allies for the first time since 1783. There are controversial opinions on the impact of American soldiers during the Great War. This dissertation will detail the true impact of the American military along the Western Front. Fresh American forces arriving in Europe shifted the tide of war in the Allies' favor. The United States’ decision to enter the war and deploy American forces shifted the Allied powers’ tactical and strategic capabilities on the Western Front.
