World War I saw the United States’ first attempt at running a massive national army of citizen soldiers. Through the conflict, the military authority structure for running this army was still solidifying, and the enlisted men, a.k.a. the “doughboys,” had a substantial amount of power in dictating the nature of the relationship between themselves and the structure that commanded them. The military higher-ups found themselves on many occasions having to coerce the soldiers to comply with orders. This push-and-pull, explored in-depth in Jennifer Keene’s work Doughboys, the Great War, and the Remaking of America, was significant in its effects on how the US military structured itself, and on how the soldiers involved, who went on to become one
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I will argue that the balance The Stars and Stripes ultimately struck was reflective of the overall power dynamic between the troops and the authority structure that commanded them- still malleable and frequently shifting, with the men at the bottom of the ranks wielding a significant amount of autonomy over themselves and influence over the AEF’s troops. An analysis of this group of passionate newsmen operating under the thumb of the military, in addition to deepening our understanding of this critical period of the U.S. national military’s infancy, will also offer an important exploration into how government crafts rhetoric to influence its citizens, and the ways in which small groups can have power over the massive authority structures built around …show more content…
Recurring themes in the articles, featured letters, and doughboy poetry reveal that the Stars and Stripes had been clearly pushing a specific set of values on its readers. The newspaper always treated the highest-ranking officials in the AEF with deep respect. Articles about the general staff stressed their long hours and less-than-ideal living conditions. Tired soldiers on the front line might have felt more connected to General Pershing and his associates upon reading an article that mentioned that they were working in a run-down French barn. These figures were also humanized through poetry. The recurring series “As We Know Them” featured short poems about many of the positions in the ranks, from privates to mess sergeants to generals, and many in between. The first of those, titled “The General” has couplets that highlight how hard the army 's top generals
I will argue that the balance The Stars and Stripes ultimately struck was reflective of the overall power dynamic between the troops and the authority structure that commanded them- still malleable and frequently shifting, with the men at the bottom of the ranks wielding a significant amount of autonomy over themselves and influence over the AEF’s troops. An analysis of this group of passionate newsmen operating under the thumb of the military, in addition to deepening our understanding of this critical period of the U.S. national military’s infancy, will also offer an important exploration into how government crafts rhetoric to influence its citizens, and the ways in which small groups can have power over the massive authority structures built around …show more content…
Recurring themes in the articles, featured letters, and doughboy poetry reveal that the Stars and Stripes had been clearly pushing a specific set of values on its readers. The newspaper always treated the highest-ranking officials in the AEF with deep respect. Articles about the general staff stressed their long hours and less-than-ideal living conditions. Tired soldiers on the front line might have felt more connected to General Pershing and his associates upon reading an article that mentioned that they were working in a run-down French barn. These figures were also humanized through poetry. The recurring series “As We Know Them” featured short poems about many of the positions in the ranks, from privates to mess sergeants to generals, and many in between. The first of those, titled “The General” has couplets that highlight how hard the army 's top generals