Fighting on Both fronts: The Story of the 370th is a documentary film which premiered on US television (PBS) in 2017.
The 370th Infantry Regiment is an African American unit of the US Army which fought in France and Belgium during the final year of World War Two (1917-1918).
The history of this unit can be traced back to the 8th Illinois Infantry Regiment, which was founded in 1898. Many members of this unit came from the Bronzeville district of Chicago, Illinois. In 1917, it was mobilized and renamed the 370th Infantry Regiment.
This film covers the history of this unit before, during, and after the war in Europe.
Here is some basic information about it:
** Writer and director: Mario Tharpe
** Narrator: Ed Gordon
** Available on the PBS website
** Language: English
** Subtitles: English
** Run time: 27 minutes
Several persons are interviewed in the film. Here are the names of the participants (in alphabetical order):
** Timuel Dixon Black (1918-2021) - historian, author
** William Braddan McClellan – grandson of William S. Braddan (1872-1947) who was a US Army Chaplain
** Anthony Powell – historian
** Christopher Reed – historian, author
** Adriana Schroeder - command historian, Illinois National Guard
Colonel Eugene Scott – a member of the Illinois World War One Centennial Commission
Chad Williams – Professor of History, Brandeis University
Archive footage is used between the talking heads. Archive footage is used to support and supplement the statements made by the participants. Archive footage is used when the narrator is talking.
African American soldiers have served in the US Army for many years. In the early days, they were always placed in all-black units and these units were almost always commanded by a white officer.
The leaders of the US Army were not keen on having black officers. They did not want to have a situation where a white soldier had to take orders from a black officer.
There was, however, one notable exception: the 370th Infantry Regiment was the only black unit which was commanded by black officers.
The armed forces of the US were segregated until 1948 when President Truman issued an executive order to abolish segregation in the armed forces.
In 1914, when World War One began in Europe, the US did not join the war. But after a while, things changed. In April 1917, the US declared war on Germany.
When this happened, the US was not ready to go to war. At that time, the US did not have a large standing army. Several steps had to be taken before American troops could join the war in Europe:
Step # 1
An army had to be created. Some young men volunteered, but this was not enough. The draft was introduced. Young men had to serve.
Step # 2
The young recruits had to be trained. It takes time to turn recruits into soldiers who can fight a war.
Step # 3
The American troops and their equipment had to be transported across the Atlantic Ocean to France.
Towards the end of 1917, when American troops finally arrived in France, American leaders explained that American soldiers cannot be placed under the command of a foreign officer. American troops must always be commanded by an American officer.
There was, however, one notable exception: African American units could be handed over to the French and these units could be placed under the command of French officers.
Perhaps the American leaders were happy that they did not have to deal with these units?
This is how the 370th Infantry Regiment and other units ended up with the French forces. The French treated them well and trained them well. When they were ready, they joined the war against Germany.
The African American soldiers performed well. When German soldiers realized that they were facing black soldiers, they called them the Black Devils.
This nickname was not a sign of contempt, but a sign of fear and respect.
Otis B. Duncan (1873-1937) was an African American officer. In 1918, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. When this happened, he was the highest placed African American soldier in the US Army.
The French leaders appreciated having the support of African American soldiers. They showed their respect for their performance when several members of the 370th were given a medal for good performance in the war.
After the armistice of November 1918, which ended the war, the surviving members of the 370th Infantry Regiment returned to the US.
Going home, they were confident. They had fought for their country. They expected to be treated with respect. But when they reached their home, they realized that the US was the same as before. It was dominated by racism.
Many Americans regarded the veterans as second-class citizens. Many Americans felt African Americans should be humble and passive. They should not be independent and take the initiative. They should wait for a white man to tell them what to do.
Conflicts erupted when black veterans refused to be treated like second-class citizens.
The soldiers had fought in Europe. And now they had to fight at home. They had to fight on two fronts. Hence the title of the film: Fighting on Both Fronts.
In the 1920s, the city council of Chicago acknowledged that the African American soldiers had served their country well and done their duty. The city of Chicago decided that a monument should be erected to commemorate their contribution to the nation.
In 1927, a monument created by the artist Leonard Crunelle was erected in the Bronzeville district.
In April 1986, this monument was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In September 1998, it was designated as a Chicago Landmark.
The history of the 370th Infantry Regiment is a significant chapter of American history, but these days it is largely forgotten. The purpose of this film is to tell the story of this unit; and to make sure that it is not forgotten.
What do reviewers say about it? This question is not easy to answer. The film is not listed on IMDb. There is no rating and there are no reviews. It is not available on Amazon. There is no rating; there are no reviews.
What is my opinion? I think the story deserves to be told, and in this film, it is done very well.
I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars (100 percent).
PS. This film does not say that war is a good thing. The focus of this film is on African Americans and their struggle for equality and basic civil rights.
REFERENCES
# 1. Books
** The Unknown Soldiers: African American Troops in World War I by Arthur E. Barbeau and Florette Henri (1996)
** Torchbearers of Democracy: African American Soldiers in the World War I Era by Chad Williams (2010) (2013)
# 2. Items available on the internet
Daniel Hautzinger,
“The forgotten story of Illinois’s Black World War I Regiment,” WTTW, 10 November 2017
John Kelly,
“When World War I raged, a DC professor fought for black officers’ participation,” Washington Post, 5 February 2019
Kevin Braafladt,
“The story of the only regiment commanded entirely by black officers during World War I,” US Army, 28 January 2021
Alison Martin,
“Victory monument honors Chicago’s Black veterans,” Chicago Sun Times, 13 November 2021
A Facebook group:
Colored Over There, 1914-1919
*****
Fighting on Both Fronts
(PBS, 2017)
*****
Power to Strike
The logo of the 370th Infantry Regiment
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Troops of the
370th Infantry Regiment
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Torchbearers of Democracy:
African American Soldiers
in the World War I Era
by Chad Williams
(2010) (2013)
*****
Victory Monument
Erected in Bronzeville,
Chicago, Illinois, in 1927
*****
Lieutenant Colonel
Otis B. Duncan
(1873-1937)
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