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Who is Pershing and Why Should He Matter to Us Today?

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Who is Pershing and Why Should He Matter to Us Today?

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John Deane

Grantham University

HS315 – Leadership Lessons from Great Commanders

Prof. John Wagner

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General John J. Pershing was the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) during World War I. General Pershing took the helm of the AEF instituting rules and strategies that allowed the AEF to come together and become a greater fighting unit than was originally envisioned. General Pershing was not a perfect man as he was only human however he arguably did more to shape the modern military forces than any other single general did during World War I and even later.

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World War I engulfed the modern world for over 4 years from 1914 to late in 1918. While an international effort, the US resisted getting involved in the conflict. Starting in April 1917, General Pershing was put in charge of the fledgling AEF and the handful of units that had actually been sent to the combat theater. By December of 1917 General Pershing had sounded the warning to those in power that there was no where near sufficient forces in order to combat the German forces that were being deployed against the Allied Forces. Initially the Allied Forces wanted the American troops to be fully integrated within existing French and British troops, a process referred to as amalgamation. Allied Forces insisted that American troops lacked the experience and leadership necessary to engage in modern warfare. General Pershing was opposed to any such idea and refused to cede command of the AEF to a foreign government even in a temporary or limited capacity. General Pershing did eventually integrate some of his troops initially with the other Allied Forces as he was willing to acknowledge that his troops needed modern combat experience in order to hold their own against the German forces. This strategy gave the troops the experience needed in order to function more effectively in the field which lead to the victory of the Allied Forces.

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General Pershing had many positive leadership traits and certainly some flaws as well. One of the biggest positives for General Pershing was his unwavering loyalty to his troops. General Pershing refused to cede command and control of his troops to a foreign government even when it was part of the Allied Forces. He was almost singularly focused on the idea that American troops should be led by an American with the care of the troops a requirement for him. General Pershing also spent countless hours studying the opposing forces as well as his allies. In many senses General Pershing drew off the collective wisdom of many different other military leaders from different portions of the world. The one major flaw that can be found with General Pershing is his desire for battle and some of the blood lust that went with it. As the armistice treaty was being negotiated and signed General Pershing refused to tell his subordinates about the upcoming surrender and instead continued to order them into offensive positions.

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General Pershing was not a perfect person. While he made mistakes the one thing that he did not make a mistake with was to be the best leader that he could be for his troops. Leading from the front, believing in his troops and supporting his troops as best as possible are just a few of the way that General Pershing will be remembered as one of the greatest American Generals ever.

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General Pershing's greatest accomplishment was that of reorganizing the military into a modern fighting unit. Prior to World War I the combat that the USA was engaged in was nothing like the large scale conflict of World War I. Everything from things like modern tanks and other armored units to things like the newer weapons used in combat, World War I challenged the AEF in ways that the Americans simply had not encountered in the past. If anything was a failure by General Pershing, it was that World War I was not, in it's entirety, considered successful. General Pershing, along with many of his contemporaries, believed that World War I was not decisively decided and consequently this lead to all of the conditions that made World War II possible.

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General Pershing's lessons and attitudes are applicable as much today as they were during World War I. Leading from the front and prioritizing the needs of the troops is paramount for the health and well-being of a military force. These are lessons that have been taught by military leaders for centuries prior to World War I and are still taught today. If there is one lesson that could be used to be passed on from General Pershing it was his belief in the military excellence of the American forces. General Pershing felt that even though the US troops had not seen the same level of combat as their European counterparts, there was no reason to believe that the US forces would end up being inferior in any way. The push for American military excellence is one that continues to this day and is still true as the US military is still considered to be the most effective fighting force on the planet.

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Carroll, A. (2017). My Fellow Soldiers: General John Pershing and the Americans who Helped Win the Great War. Penguin.

Rainey, J. W. (1992). The questionable training of the AEF in World War I. The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters, 22(1), 23.

Tomlinson, E. T. (1919). The Story of General Pershing. D. Appleton.

Vandiver, F. E. (1977). Black Jack: The Life and Times of John J. Pershing (Vol. 1). Texas A&M University Press.