An Uncertain Trumpet: The Evolution of U.S. Army Infantry Doctrine, 1919-1941

by Kenneth Finlayson

Overview

Faced with severe budgetary constraints, a radically reduced force structure, and a crippling intellectual dogmatism, the American Infantry struggled throughout the interwar years to modernize its doctrine. Finlayson examines these difficulties, beginning with an overview of the experiences of the primary combatants of the First World War, comparing their battlefield doctrines with that of the American Expeditionary Force. The brief American appearance on the battlefield did much to shape the convictions of those men assigned the task of developing doctrine after the war.

The findings of the post-World War I Superior Board provide valuable insight into how institutional conservatism and the dogmatic approach to new ideas that existed among senior Army leaders stymied possible doctrinal advances. The Army would suffer greatly in the post-war demobilization and the subsequent ravages of the Great Depression. With little money and few soldiers spread around far-flung posts, little advancement in terms of doctrinal development was possible. As the likelihood of war became more imminent in the 1930s, a concerted effort to modernize was made; however, the magnitude of the task made success virtually impossible-a situation that was evident in the Infantry's poor performance in the early battles of the war. The U.S. entry into World war II would, unfortunately, find the infantry branch only partially prepared for the battle field of 1942.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313313547
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	07/30/2001
Series:	Contributions in Military Studies , #209
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.62(d)

About the Author

KENNETH FINLAYSON is the Command Historian for the Army's John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School./e An Infantry officer, he served on active duty from 1978 to 1992 in a variety of command and staff assignments. He is currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve where he is an instructor in the Combined Arms and Services Staff School.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
Doctrinal Evolution in the Great War
The American Experience in World War I
The AEF Superior Boards
The 1920s: The Long Road Down
The Early 1930s: Little Headway
1936-1941: The Road to War
The Lynch Report: "Economists vs. Integralists"
The Evolution of Infantry Doctrine: An Uncertain Trumpet
Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

This study examines conflicting factors affecting the development of the American infantry during the interwar period, looking at the infantry's reactions to technological advances, organizational change, and intellectual growth, and describing internal and external obstacles in the infantry's struggle to modernize. According to the author, "the idea of the primacy of the infantry remained firmly rooted as the intellectual foundation of the branch and greatly affected the ability of the branch to adapt to changing tactics in naval warfare." Finlayson is command historian for the Army's John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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