World War I Podcast

When World War I ended, parts of the American Expeditionary Force were sent into Germany to serve as an occupation force. The Occupation of Germany (1918-1923) would be regarded as the most successful U.S. military occupation in history until the Occupation of Japan after World War II. In this podcast, Al Barnes, the Virginia National Guard Command Historian and author of the book In a Strange Land: The American Occupation of Germany, sat down with a member of the Memorial's staff to discuss the politics behind the occupation, fears of the "Germanization" of the U.S. Army, and some of the future American leaders who served in the occupation. As with any occupation, fear, fraternization, and justice played out in unique ways.