The Portuguese Expeditionary Force fought in the trenches of northern France from April 1917 to April 1918. on 9 April 1918 the sledgehammer blow of Operation Georgette fell upon the exhausted Portuguese troops. British accounts of the Portuguese Corps’ participation in combat on the Western Front are terse. Many are dismissive. in fact, Portuguese units experienced heavy combat and successfully held their ground against all attacks. Regarding Georgette, the standard British narrative holds that most of the Portuguese soldiers threw their weapons aside and ran. the account is incontrovertibly false. Most of the Portuguese combat troops held their ground against the German assault. This thesis details the history of the Portuguese Expeditionary Force.

Abstract: This thesis examines the origins, selection process, training, promotion and general performance, at battalion and regimental level, of combat officers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces of the First and Second World Wars. These were easily the greatest armed conflicts in the country’s history. Through a prosopographical analysis of data obtained from personnel records and established databases, along with evidence from diaries, letters, biographies and interviews, comparisons are made not only between the experiences of those New Zealand officers who served in the Great War and those who served in the Second World War, but also with the officers of other British Empire forces. During both wars New Zealand soldiers were generally led by competent and capable combat officers at all levels of command, from leading a platoon or troop through to command of a whole battalion or regiment. What makes this so remarkable was that the majority of these officers were citizen-soldiers who had mostly volunteered or had been conscripted to serve overseas. With only limited training before embarking for war, most of them became efficient and effective combat leaders through experiencing battle. Not all reached the required standard and those who did not were replaced to ensure a high level of performance was maintained within the combat units. Casualties were heavy among the battalion officers, especially with platoon commanders. The constant need for replacements during both wars led to the promotion of experienced non-commissioned officers from the ranks who had proven their leadership abilities in the turmoil of fighting on the front line. Such measures further enhanced the performance of the New Zealand divisions, where a team ethos, reflective of the character of New Zealand society, was embraced. The opportunities for promotion on merit at all levels, regardless of previous civilian social class or occupation, provided a sense of egalitarianism seldom found in professional military forces. This, together with the familiarity between the officers and other ranks within the regional-based infantry battalions that formed the foundations of the forces, led to a preferred style of leadership that the New Zealanders responded well to. It was these officers who provided this leadership in the cauldron of battle who helped forge the expeditionary forces into elite fighting formations.

The entry of the United States into the Great War was enthusiastically endorsed by Congress on April 3, 1917. Even after the declaration of war, however, the exact nature of American participation was unclear. This thesis examines the role of American involvement in the war, as it responded to requests for support from Great Britain and France.

Os documentos da participação do Brasil durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial, enquanto Força Expedicionária Brasileira encontram-se em diversas instituições do País, somados aos documentos pessoais que constituem os arquivos e acervos dos veteranos. São diferentes locais com histórias próprias que mantém estes documentos. O presente trabalho tem o proposito de mapear os principais mantenedores de memória que contém documentos a respeito da FEB, assim como traçar um panorama teórico a respeito de patrimônio histórico e cultural. O objetivo aqui é deixar aparente a importância da documentação da FEB na história do país, bem como demonstrar seu papel diante do patrimônio documental brasileiro. Explora, ainda, a contextualização da FEB e seus trâmites políticos, bem como a atuação em terreno italiano até chegar a sua desmobilização. Esta dissertação possui o olhar arquivístico a guisa dos documentos e os coloca em primeiro plano, ilustrado aqueles que pontuam situações históricas ou que trazem ricos detalhes a respeito da participação do Brasil na guerra. / The official documents which document the Brazilian participation in the IIWW as Brazilian Expeditionary Force are spread in several institutions around Brazil. In addition to the officials documents we also have the personal archive from the veterans. This paper will try to identify the main institutions which keep the documents about Brazilian Expeditionary Force. It will also give a theoretical, cultural and historical panorama about this time. The main goal of the paper is to show how important the documents are to Brazilians history and the importance as a document. Lately it will try to show the political context and performance from Brazilian Expeditionary Force, the time in Italy and the demobilization. This paper was written with an archivist point of view, where the documents come in the first position. You can find several pictures which are very important examples about Brazilian performance during the IIWW.

Os documentos da participação do Brasil durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial, enquanto Força Expedicionária Brasileira encontram-se em diversas instituições do País, somados aos documentos pessoais que constituem os arquivos e acervos dos veteranos. São diferentes locais com histórias próprias que mantém estes documentos. O presente trabalho tem o proposito de mapear os principais mantenedores de memória que contém documentos a respeito da FEB, assim como traçar um panorama teórico a respeito de patrimônio histórico e cultural. O objetivo aqui é deixar aparente a importância da documentação da FEB na história do país, bem como demonstrar seu papel diante do patrimônio documental brasileiro. Explora, ainda, a contextualização da FEB e seus trâmites políticos, bem como a atuação em terreno italiano até chegar a sua desmobilização. Esta dissertação possui o olhar arquivístico a guisa dos documentos e os coloca em primeiro plano, ilustrado aqueles que pontuam situações históricas ou que trazem ricos detalhes a respeito da participação do Brasil na guerra. / The official documents which document the Brazilian participation in the IIWW as Brazilian Expeditionary Force are spread in several institutions around Brazil. In addition to the officials documents we also have the personal archive from the veterans. This paper will try to identify the main institutions which keep the documents about Brazilian Expeditionary Force. It will also give a theoretical, cultural and historical panorama about this time. The main goal of the paper is to show how important the documents are to Brazilians history and the importance as a document. Lately it will try to show the political context and performance from Brazilian Expeditionary Force, the time in Italy and the demobilization. This paper was written with an archivist point of view, where the documents come in the first position. You can find several pictures which are very important examples about Brazilian performance during the IIWW.

This study examines the five American Legion battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force formed in 1915 specifically to recruit American volunteers for the Canadian overseas contingent of the First World War. This study reviews the organization of Canada's militia and Anglo-American relations before examining the formation of the American Legion, the background of its men, and the diplomatic repercussions it sparked. This study is based largely on material in the Public Archives of Canada including war records and the personal papers of several participants. During its brief existence, the American Legion precipitated constitutional, diplomatic, and political problems. The issues the American Legion raised were mostly solved by America's entry in the war. The episode hastened the maturity of Canada as a nation.

This thesis examines the influence of the Boer War 1899 – 1902 upon tactics and training in the regular British Army 1902 – 1914. The work argues that several key lessons drawn from South Africa became the tactical cornerstones for infantry, artillery and cavalry throughout the pre-First World War period and shaped the performance of the B.E.F. during the early battles of 1914. The experience of combat against well armed opposition in the Boer War prompted the British Army to develop improved tactics in each of the three major service arms. For example, infantry placed new emphasis on dispersion and marksmanship; cavalry improved their dismounted work and reconnaissance skills; and artillery adopted methods of concealment and strove to improve accuracy and co-ordination. Across the army as a whole, the experience of combat lead to an overall downgrading of the importance of drill and obedience, replacing it instead with tactical skill and individual initiative. In addition, the thesis also examines the impact of the Boer War upon overall British Army doctrine and ethos. The process of reform prior to the First World War was marked by wide ranging debates upon the value of the South African experience, and not all lessons drawn from the conflict endured, with tactical restructuring being further complicated by changes of government and financial restrictions. Nevertheless, key lessons such as dispersion, marksmanship, concealment and firepower were ultimately retained and proved to be of great value during initial clashes against the Germans in 1914. Additionally, the Boer War caused the British to place new emphasis upon overall training of the individual, allowing advanced tactical skills to be inculcated more easily than had been possible in earlier years. However, the short duration of the conventional period of the Boer War meant that there was less opportunity to derive operational lessons for future employment. Furthermore, the colonial policing role of the British Army and the likelihood of small scale deployments meant that developing an operational doctrine was of less immediate value than ensuring flexibility and tactical skill. This meant that the British Army took a somewhat skewed developmental path in the 1902 – 1914. The process of reform ultimately produced a highly adaptable force that was tactically skilled, but which was ill-prepared for the operational complications posed by large scale deployment. While the Boer War was the principal factor in driving reform during the 1902 – 1914 period, there were additional influences at work, including examples from the Russo-Japanese War 1904 – 1905 and various ideas drawn from the armies of the continent. However, this thesis argues that while these outside influences contributed to ongoing debate, they did not offer any particular fresh ideas and were therefore of less importance than the Boer War in shaping British Army development.

This dissertation examines the five battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force designated as the American Legion. Authorized in Canada between 1915 and 1917, these units were formed to recruit volunteers from the United States to serve in the Canadian Overseas Contingent during the First World War. This work reviews the organization of Canada’s militia and the history of Anglo-American relations before examining the Canadian war effort, the formation of the American Legion, the background of its men, and the diplomatic, political, and constitutional questions that it raised. Much of the research focuses on the internal documents of its individual battalions (the 97th, 211th, 212th, 213th and 237th) and the papers of Reverend Charles Bullock now housed at the Public Archives of Canada. Documentation for the diplomatic furor the American Legion caused comes largely through the published diplomatic documents, British Foreign Office records held at the Public Record Office at Kew, and United States Department of State files at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland. The most useful sources for American Legion correspondence are the Beaverbrook papers held at the House of Lords Record Office, the papers of Canadian Prime Minister Sir Robert Laird Borden, and those of the Governor-General, the Duke of Connaught found in the Public Archives of Canada. During its brief existence the American Legion precipitated diplomatic and political problems in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Dominion of Canada. Among the issues raised by the controversy surrounding the American Legion were: the relationship between the dominion government in Canada and the British government; the structural problems of imperial communications; the rise of a Canadian national identity and the desire for greater autonomy; and, the nature of citizenship and expatriation. This dissertation is also a long overdue account of the thousands of United States citizens who left their homes and families to join the American Legion in order to fight another country’s war.

This thesis is an investigation that combines historical research into military records and genealogy in the examination of the brief military career and death in courageous circumstances of George P. Cole. It also considers the policies of the U.S. military as regards battlefield treatment of deaths, immediate burial and subsequent repatriation of the remains. The author draws upon family records, official government reports and the recollections of the friends and superiors of the deceased.

<p>The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors affecting the experience transfer at the rotation of the missions. This is to identify the respective influences are inhibitory factor, which contributes to a less efficient transfer, or if it contributes to a more efficient handover. The method used for the production of this paper is a qualitative case study of squad leaders who have done service in Kosovo or Afghanistan. Through interviews with focus on the transfer of experience, both on individual and organizational level, the factors that affect are being identified. The model used is expressed in a general perspective, where each factor is categorized as inhibitory or contributing to success, and if it appears on an organizational or individual level. The results show that there are several factors that contribute to an effective transfer of experience. Factors as social skills and instructors with international experience are important for an efficient transfer. Less contributing factors among others are lack of motivation and time constraint.</p>