The Spring Offensives of 1918 rocked the Allies to the core.  For a moment, it appeared the Great War could actually be lost.  Enter America and the American Expeditionary Force – AEF.  General John J. Pershing had been pushing against the desires of his fellow Allies to insert American troops as they became available into the ranks of the French or British armies.  In the emergency of spring 1918, Pershing finally relented, agreeing to allow American divisions already present into the front lines as needed.  The Aisne-Marne ABMC – American Battlefield and Monuments Commission – Cemetery is a result of that decision.