# What were the exact number of battles the AEF engaged in in WWI. 10? 13? 17?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-exact-number-of-battles-the-aef-engaged-in-in-wwi-10-13-17/1000600>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 22, 2024, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-exact-number-of-battles-the-aef-engaged-in-in-wwi-10-13-17/1000600 "2024-04-22T04:32:12Z")\
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**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-exact-number-of-battles-the-aef-engaged-in-in-wwi-10-13-17/1000600/1 "2024-04-22T04:32:12Z")

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What were the exact number of battles the AEF engaged in in WWI. 10? 13? 17? I haven’t been able to find a reliable number.

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**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-exact-number-of-battles-the-aef-engaged-in-in-wwi-10-13-17/1000600/2 "2024-04-22T13:21:20Z")

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I think that’s probably a matter of definition rather than record keeping. What is a “battle” vs a skirmish or a front in a larger battle? AFAIK there is no remotely standardized way of defining that, so all the numbers you see are correct based on what counts as a “battle”.

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**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-exact-number-of-battles-the-aef-engaged-in-in-wwi-10-13-17/1000600/3 "2024-04-22T13:42:07Z")

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That’s what I was going to say - define a “battle” in WWI.

Sometime around the late 19th century, armies started being in more or less constant contact with each other, and “battles” were really just periods of locally heightened activity. Prior to this change, armies were _not_ in constant contact, and when they’d meet, a battle would ensue- look at how Gettysburg unfolded with the advance elements engaging, and the rest of the armies making a beeline for Gettysburg.

In WWI, they were more or less in constant contact very soon in 1914, and remained so for the rest of the war. Any “battles” that were had were the result of planned offensives, like the Somme or Cambrai.

That said, I’d say a good place to start would be the Army’s battle streamers awarded to units for fighting in WWI - there are 13 of them.

[World War I Campaigns | U.S. Army Center of Military History](https://history.army.mil/html/reference/army_flag/wwi.html)

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**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-exact-number-of-battles-the-aef-engaged-in-in-wwi-10-13-17/1000600/4 "2024-04-22T18:15:30Z")

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Thanks again bump. I had looked at that link you posted. Maybe that’s as close as you can get to a comprehensive list. If you get into the nitty-gritty, it get’s messy.