The Doughboy

Typical American soldier in WWI

American society underwent a massive propaganda drive leading up to its entry into the war. Women signed pledges to the American Food Association, promising that they would follow approved rationing regulations. Citizens across the country bought bonds en-masse and engaged in flag kissing ceremonies where they would kiss the American flag and sing various American anthems. There was a sense of urgency and patriotism among Americans. This rush of patriotism continued through the war and manifested itself most prominently with the ‘doughboy.’¹ 

Doughboy was a nickname given to the American infantrymen that served in World War I. It had seen limited use before the war, but its origins are unclear. Some sources claim that it came from the doughy biscuits that American infantry ate, but others claim that it came from the Mexican-American War, where dust-covered infantry appeared as though they were covered in flour.² Regardless, World War I popularized the term and it became a point of pride for both infantrymen and citizens reading about the war. 

While propaganda espoused lofty ambitions like the proliferation of democracy in Europe, many Americans enlisted for simple reasons. Robert Sandels asserts that American men shipped out to France to prove their manhood and become war heroes. Clever propaganda instilled the idea in young men that military service was part of their patriotic duty and key to attaining manhood. An American sergeant wrote about this phenomenon, saying “I can hardly remember a single instance of serious discussion of American policy or larger war issues. They were simply fascinated by the prospect of adventure and heroism."³ A sizeable portion of servicemen had no idea what the war was even about.⁴ 

The doughboys' training and their aggressive tactics reflected their simple perception of war. American training focused on personal combat and aggressive offensive techniques.⁵ American soldiers did not have the same patience or elegance that the Europeans exhibited. Often, doughboys walked or climbed over barbed wire barriers instead of waiting for them to be cut or blown apart. Colonel George Marshall noticed the boorish bravery with which the doughboys operated. He suggested that “doughboys could not be used in exquisite French maneuvers but only in a ‘steamroller’ operation . . . held continuously to their task without rest or reorganization.”⁶ Consequently, American campaigns like the Meuse-Argonne offensive are still the bloodiest battles in the country’s history.⁷