A Journal of the Great War

A critical edition of Charles Gates Dawes' A Journal of The Great War with two new essays that explore the broader story of Dawes' war experience.First published in 1921, A Journal of the Great War provides a fascinating glimpse into the challenges faced by the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) during the United States' 18-month involvement in World War I. Dawes' journal, written while he was stationed in France from 1917 to 1919, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the power struggles and political maneuvering that took place among American and European political and military leaders as they sought to fight the war as an allied force. Part document of life in wartime France, part war diary, and part mentation on the means of exercising power, Dawes' journal is a unique contribution to the literature of World War I. In July 1917, at the age of 51, Dawes sailed for France as an officer with the U.S. 17th Engineers. At the time, Dawes' enlistment made headlines. He was hailed as a "soldier banker" -- one of the wealthiest men in the country to join Uncle Sam's army. Dawes was indeed a wealthy man; he was president of the Central Trust Company of Illinois, a bank he founded in 1902, and, along with his brothers, he also ran numerous investments and companies. When he sailed for France, he left all that behind.Once in France, Dawes was appointed as the General Purchasing Agent in Europe for the AEF by his friend, General John Pershing. Stationed in Paris for the duration, Dawes served as Pershing's confidant throughout the war, consulting with the American general as Pershing deployed more than two million American soldiers into battle. Meanwhile, Dawes oversaw a massive operation to acquire and distribute supplies for the war effort. Working closely with Pershing, Dawes would soon develop the Military Board of Allied Supply, a means to coordinate supply among the Allies. Dawes' stunning achievement to bring about and manage this alliance -- and the political drama that unfolded behind it -- is documented in A Journal of the Great War.