Rough Riders on the Western front?

Yvonmukluk · Oct 21, 2012

I was browsing wikipedia, when I found an article on Theodore Roosevelt's proposed WWI volunteer unit. I was wondering what would have happened had it been deployed to Europe?

Obviously, it may not have been as Calvary (since a)Calvary were fairly out of place and b)the original Rough Riders had also fought on foot (in fact wikipedia says here that it was intended to be a volunteer infantry unit).

Of course, one of the major possible knock-on effects would be of Roosevelt's plans to raise one, perhaps even two, regiments of African-American soldiers, under the command of one Lieutenant-Colonel Young, the senior African-American officer in the US Army at the time (who was retired for 'medical reasons' during the war-a pretext for avoiding situations where white officers might have to take orders from a black officer), who was given carte blanche by Roosevelt in the organisation of the regiment, including selection of officers.

What possible effects might these 'Rough Riders' have?

John Farson · Oct 21, 2012

Yvonmukluk said:
I was browsing wikipedia, when I found an article on Theodore Roosevelt's proposed WWI volunteer unit. I was wondering what would have happened had it been deployed to Europe?

Obviously, it may not have been as Calvary (since a)Calvary were fairly out of place and b)the original Rough Riders had also fought on foot (in fact wikipedia says here that it was intended to be a volunteer infantry unit).

Of course, one of the major possible knock-on effects would be of Roosevelt's plans to raise one, perhaps even two, regiments of African-American soldiers, under the command of one Lieutenant-Colonel Young, the senior African-American officer in the US Army at the time (who was retired for 'medical reasons' during the war-a pretext for avoiding situations where white officers might have to take orders from a black officer), who was given carte blanche by Roosevelt in the organisation of the regiment, including selection of officers.

What possible effects might these 'Rough Riders' have?

More cannon fodder for the Western Front.

Bureaucromancer · Oct 21, 2012

John Farson said:
More cannon fodder for the Western Front.

Pretty much. The reality is that a unit like that is most like to just disappear on the Somme without making any difference to the war effort and if anything galvanizing the American public's desire to stay out of the war.

Color-Copycat · Oct 21, 2012

It'd be nowhere near as glamorous as the Lafayette Escadrille.

asupackman · Oct 21, 2012

Bureaucromancer said:
Pretty much. The reality is that a unit like that is most like to just disappear on the Somme without making any difference to the war effort and if anything galvanizing the American public's desire to stay out of the war.

Agreed, at most they (the African American unit) might be some historical footnote in America’s march for equal rights for minorities. Kind of like the Tuskegee airmen. Note: not calling the Tuskegee airmen insignificant or diminishing their role, just using them as an example.

Yvonmukluk · Oct 21, 2012

Well I figured that by arriving in 1917 (when people had finally figured out stuff like the proper use of the tank and the creeping barrage) would mean they wouldn't be annihilated out-of-hand.

Noravea · Oct 21, 2012

If Roosevelt is killed might there be a call to enter the war?

Yvonmukluk · Oct 22, 2012

Noravea said:
If Roosevelt is killed might there be a call to enter the war?

The volunteer unit was only beginning to recruit after the US entered the war.

TheKnightIrish · Oct 22, 2012

Would they automatically be sent to the Western Front? Good cavalry could finish up with the British in Egypt and Palestine.

BlondieBC · Oct 22, 2012

TheKnightIrish said:
Would they automatically be sent to the Western Front? Good cavalry could finish up with the British in Egypt and Palestine.

Seems like the USA never even declared war on Ottomans, so realistically no.

Polish Eagle · Oct 22, 2012

John Farson said:
More cannon fodder for the Western Front.

In fact, I think Roosevelt might die of a heart attack during the first assault. The man had only a year or two left in him by then--and the Western Front ruined men in much better shape than he.

There was actually a short story on this subject--I've got it in my shelf somewhere. Can't for the life of me remember which book it's in, though.

cortz#9 · Oct 23, 2012

There is a short story about this I read it years ago in a collection of short AH stories. I can't remember the title of the book or the story though. I do remember that it ended with T.R. and the Rough Riders making a calvary charge against German trenches. It did not end well.

Joyeux · Oct 23, 2012

John Farson said:
More cannon fodder for the Western Front.

This.

TL:
Day 1: Volunteers arrive at the front lines.
Day 3: Many volunteers are killed by machine gun, artillery and chlorine gas.
Day 46: Volunteers are mostly dead.

Ceasefire on 11/11/1918

Tocomocho · Oct 25, 2012

asupackman said:
Agreed, at most they (the African American unit) might be some historical footnote in America’s march for equal rights for minorities. Kind of like the Tuskegee airmen. Note: not calling the Tuskegee airmen insignificant or diminishing their role, just using them as an example.

There were AA units in OTL WW1. They were segregated, kept behind the lines as labor battalions, and ultimately handed to European officers to fill gaps in their lines on the Western Front (the same thing Pershing fought so hard against, but on behalf of white American soldiers only). Not a very promising scenario.