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days. Within weeks, the 91st was again tasked to support the French forces in the battle

of Ypres-Lys in Belgium, where it fought until the end of World War I. This chapter

outlines the methodology used to determine the level of success of the 91st Division

throughout its battlefield engagements in France. Relying on both primary and secondary

sources, this paper examines the Wild West division’s activities from its training period

at Camp Lewis to its experiences on the battlefields in Europe to determine its level of

success.

Thesis Statement

The 91st Division appeared to be very successful on the battlefield. Its leaders

maintained morale and led the division to gain more ground than other divisions in an

extremely difficult combat environment. However, the division was very inexperienced.

Its training and execution of concepts such as command and control, movement and

maneuver, and integration of fires lacked proficiency. Although the 91st had impressive

gains in the Meuse-Argonne, these gains came at an exceptionally high cost and by the

end of the battle, the division had nearly culminated. In the final days of the War, the

division would learn from many of its mistakes and show progress, but the unit had been

badly damaged as a result of its inexperience and inefficiencies.

Literature Review

There is very little research specifically on the 91st Division in the Great War. In

fact, only recently have researchers written any significant works specifically focused on

the battle of the Meuse-Argonne, the primary battle that the 91st was involved in. The

research of modern World War I historians including Mark E. Grotelueschen, Byron

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