Intercepted Letters Show The Ways Germans Really Pictured Americans In WWI
The brutality of World War I finally draws to a close, and the occupation of Western Germany begins. Already scarred from the drawn-out conflict, the people of the Rhineland settle into an uneasy coexistence with some 250,000 American troops. But at the same time, military intelligence officers are looking at letters — ones Germans have written about the visiting soldiers. And what the natives said about the Americans is rather a surprise.
Mail on the frontline
Throughout WWI and the subsequent occupation, men risked their lives to deliver mail to and from the frontlines. But, sometimes, these letters would not reach their intended final destinations. That's because, in Germany, members of the United States military tried to get their hands on these confidential messages and see the important information they contained.
Temporary custodians
As the temporary custodians of the Rhineland region, the U.S. authorities wanted to know more about how they were perceived by the locals whose lives they had interrupted. And through these intercepted letters and in-person interrogations, they began to build up a pretty clear picture. So, what exactly did the German people make of the Americans?
Good or bad?
Well, in 1919 the U.S. military released a report entitled Candid Comment on The American Soldier of 1917-18 and Kindred Topics by The Germans. And within its 84 pages, there are some astonishing revelations. It turns out that the locals had plenty to say about the occupying forces — but was the news good or bad?
No support for war
After all, it looked at one point as though the U.S. wouldn’t even get involved in the conflict. When war first broke out in Europe in 1914, America was officially neutral, looking on in horror as once-peaceful nations turned against one another. And while there was some public support for the Allied countries of Great Britain, France, and Russia, not many wanted the United States government to intervene.
