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| United States National Army | |
|---|---|
| Name | United States National Army |
| Country | United States |
| Type | Army |
| Active | 1917–1920 |
| Battles | World War I, Meuse–Argonne offensive, Second Battle of the Marne, Saint-Mihiel |
| Notable commanders | John J. Pershing, Hunter Liggett, Robert Lee Bullard |
| Size | over 4 million (1918) |
United States National Army was the wartime field force raised by the United States after entry into World War I in 1917 to expand beyond the Regular Army and the National Guard. It served alongside Allied armies such as the British Army, French Army, and Italian Army during major 1918 campaigns including the Meuse–Argonne offensive and the Second Battle of the Marne. Commanded by officers from the Regular establishment, it drew personnel from across the United States, mobilizing citizen-soldiers from states, territories, and federal agencies.
The creation of the National Army was driven by decisions in the Wilson administration after the 1917 declaration of war, shaped by legislation including the Selective Service Act of 1917 and debated in the United States Congress. Senior leaders such as John J. Pershing advocated for an independent American field army distinct from the American Expeditionary Forces' initial mix of Regular and National Guard units. Discussions in War Department offices, interactions with the Allied governments, and precedents from earlier mobilizations influenced establishment of a force designed for continental mobilization and expeditionary operations in France, with staging at ports like New York Harbor and embarkation through Brest, France.
The National Army was organized into divisions, corps, and armies under the American Expeditionary Forces chain of command, paralleling structures used by the British Expeditionary Force and French Army but retaining American organization. Divisions such as the 1st Division, 26th Division, and 42nd "Rainbow" Division were formed or augmented with National Army personnel. Higher echelons included corps commanded by generals like Hunter Liggett and army-level commands under Pershing. The structure integrated support branches modeled on the Ordnance Corps, Quartermaster Corps, Signal Corps, and Medical Corps to sustain operations during offensives such as Saint-Mihiel and the Meuse–Argonne offensive.
Recruitment blended voluntary enlistment with compulsory service under the Selective Service Act of 1917, overseen by local draft boards and federal officials. Training centers like Camp Funston, Camp Gordon, Camp Logan, and Camp Meade processed recruits from states including New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, while officers were commissioned via programs tied to institutions such as the United States Military Academy and reserve training at the Officer Reserve Corps. Mobilization also incorporated personnel from federal agencies and ethnic communities, including volunteers from Puerto Rico and the Philippine Islands, reflecting debates in the United States Senate and among state governors over organization of the National Guard and federal authority. Training doctrine was influenced by observers to the Battle of the Marne, liaison with the French Army, and publications from the Army War College.
National Army uniforms adapted patterns from the Regular Army while incorporating distinctive insignia for divisions, regiments, and service branches. Shoulder sleeve insignia such as those of the 42nd Division and divisional patches were adopted alongside branch insignia used by the Infantry, Cavalry, and Field Artillery. Equipment procurement involved collaboration with industrial firms in American industry, procurement offices in the Ordnance Department, and allies providing materiel via arrangements with the British War Office and Ministry of Munitions. Small arms like the M1903 Springfield rifle and machine guns such as the Browning M1917 machine gun were issued, while artillery included pieces like the 75 mm M1897 field gun supplied through logistics chains operating from ports like New York Harbor and depots such as Aberdeen Proving Ground.
Deployed to France, National Army units participated in key operations during 1918, including the defensive actions against the German spring offensives and Allied counteroffensives culminating in the Hundred Days Offensive. National Army formations took part in engagements at Château-Thierry, Belleau Wood, and the Meuse–Argonne offensive, coordinating with Allied staffs from the British Army, French Army, and commanders such as Ferdinand Foch. The American presence, exemplified by units from the National Army and the National Guard, contributed to stabilization of fronts, logistics efforts at ports like Le Havre, and post-armistice occupation plans after the Armistice of 11 November 1918. Command relationships with Allied headquarters, disputes over replacement policies, and the utilization of American divisions in coalition operations shaped outcomes in the final months of World War I.
After the Armistice of 11 November 1918, the National Army underwent rapid demobilization managed by the Demobilization Board and War Department offices, with units returning via embarkation points such as Brest, France and New York Harbor. Demobilization affected veterans' organizations like the American Legion and influenced debates in the United States Congress over the future of the Regular Army and reserve components including the National Guard and the United States Army Reserve. The National Army's legacy endured in reforms enacted by the National Defense Act of 1920, lessons codified at the Army War College, and institutional memory preserved by museums such as the National World War I Museum and Memorial and archives at the National Archives and Records Administration. Its mobilization model informed later expansions during the World War II mobilization and shaped civil-military relations in the interwar period.