This brief history is a partial compliance with the instructions contained in Marine Corps Orders no. 53 (Series 1919), directing that a history of the United States Marine corps for the period of the World War be prepared, and is preliminary to the final and detailed history of the United States Marines Corps during the World War, which is in course of preparation. cf. "Explanatory note," p. 3.

Release date is 2023-05-16

Brian Coe, John Campbell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

"The United States Marine Corps in the World War" by Edwin North McClellan et al. is a historical account written in the early 20th century. This work provides a detailed overview of the United States Marine Corps' involvement in World War I, documenting its strengths, operations, and contributions during the war. It likely aims to inform both military personnel and the general public about the critical role the Marines played in various battles and campaigns. The opening of the text establishes its intent to serve as a concise history of the Marine Corps during World War I, summarizing the organization, troop strength, and operations from the declaration of war in April 1917. It outlines the initial size of the Marine Corps and highlights its significant expansion in personnel and capabilities throughout the war. The author emphasizes the corps’ high standards, its statistics, and early deployments to France, while mentioning that the work is preliminary to a more detailed history that is yet to be complete. The initial chapters set the stage for exploring the various operations and achievements of the Marines throughout the conflict, emphasizing their sacrifices and strategic importance. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Originally published: United States: Government Printing Office, 1920