Civil War and Reconstruction - Why did the Civil War last four years?
Why did the Confederates expect support from Britain?
Britain relied heavily on the southern textiles, so the South expected the support of Britain and its navy.
Why was conscription introduced?
Enthusiasm to sign up and fight soon faded, many didn't re-enlist
Who devised the initial northern strategy?
General Winfield Scott with the support of Lincoln
Who was the first Northern leader?
General Winfield Scott, but he was old and soon retired
What advantages did the South have?
Interior communication lines enabled them to bring together troops scattered over a wide area and Southern generals could take advantage of new technologies such as telegraph and railway. They also had the support of the local population
What was this plan?
It aimed to strangle the South by surrounding it on all sides - known as the anaconda plan. Union forces would provide a barrier in the North, a naval blockade was set up to the east and south, and the North would try to gain control of the Mississippi River which would split the South in two and complete the northern stranglehold on the South.
What was unorthodox about the Anaconda plan?
It required the dispersal of forces, thus contradicting the conventional wisdom that the concentration of troops was the best way to win the war. Was cautious in approach, aiming to wear down the south without inflicting painful military defeats
Why wouldn't strategic withdrawal work?
It was politically unacceptable as the people of the south would not willingly concede any territory.
Who was the CSA's political leader?
Jefferson Davis
What was the culture of the white south?
Most southern whites saw the south as culturally and morally worthy, particularly when comparing to the North. They therefore thought it could recruit effective fighting forces more easily than the north and retain better purpose and unity
What were the South's three possible strategies?
Passive defense - simply protecting the South's borders; Strategic withdrawal - drawing northern forces into the South, where they could be isolated and defeated; Offensive-defensive - attacking the North in certain areas, withdrawing Southern forces in other areas and then fighting a defensive battle that the South expected to win
Where did Grant and Lee engage in trench warfare?
Petersburg
Why were railways important?
Railways enabled troops and supplies to be transported more quickly than ever before and they were targets for enemy attacks - could be destroyed by small groups of Calvary or guerrillas
Who was the South's leadership?
Robert E Lee was the greatest of the Southern Generals and stayed as general throughout the war
What were some advantages of the North?
The North had 2x as many railroads, 4x the money, 5x as many factories, 90 of the 120 ships in the US Navy.
Who introduced conscription first?
The South
Why did the Civil War last four years?
The military strategies of the two sides; the leadership of the two sides; the political aims of the two sides; the resources available to the two sides
What was Northern leadership?
The north went through 9 generals throughout the war in hopes of getting a better one each time one was fired
Why wouldn't passive defense work?
The southern people needed goods from outside the region
What were the consequences of battles like Antietam and Gettysburg?
There were terrible casualties on both sides but the north with its larger population could absorb these losses more easily
How did Robert E. Lee feel was the way to achieve victory?
To defeat the enemy indirect battle - so he concentrated southern forces on the eastern front and then marched them into Northern territory
What was the South's aim?
To get the North to accept the existence of the CSA.
What was the North's aim?
To occupy the South or force it to surrender. The longer the war went on, the greater the likelihood of pressure in the North for a negotiated peace.
What were some ways to get out of the draft?
You could hire substitutes and also draft dodging
