1917 was a winter of gloom for the Allies. The British had lost more than 400,000 men in their failed offensive at Passchendaele in the previous summer and fall. That was followed by mutinies of nearly half of all French Army units after the failed Nivelle offensives. To add to the gloom, Europe was about to experience its worst winter in many years. The only glimmer of hope was the slow, steady arrival of American soldiers, and it was amidst this atmosphere that Douglas MacArthur and the 42nd Rainbow Division arrived in France. The first months in France would be a difficult time for the Rainbow Division - mentally and physically - as the men were further prepared for the rigors of trench warfare. It was also a difficult time for the officers of the 42nd Division who struggled to keep the division intact. The Rainbow Division ultimately survived this difficult winter, and five months after their arrival in France, they were ordered to the front.

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