The Civil war versus the North and the South was a devastating war in history. Many America 's argue that the south never had a chance to win the Civil War to begin with. To an extent that assumption is true. The civil war was not in any level the most equal war fought in history at least not when it came to the amount of resources each side possessed. For example, the fact was that the North had a greater advantage with the amount of supplies and a larger population, as well as an advantage with their choices in military strategies which gave the North a stronger chance at winning therefore, the south was immediately placed at the position to lose the war. One of the main reasons why the South faced a difficult time fighting in the civil …show more content…
Compared to the North’s strategies the South had weak ideas because the South main plan was to keep a defensive front and for most of the war the south strategies was simply to prevent the North from gaining territory and the hope to break the Union 's will to fight. However, the South’s strategy was unsuccessful versus the North war strategy which was the Anaconda Plan. The Anaconda Plan was created to 1. Blockade the South 2. Split the confederacy gaining control over the Mississippi River and 3. Capture the Confederate capital, Richmond. Yet even though the Anaconda Plan was a success during war the north adapted other strategies such as the idea to prevent the European powers, especially Great Britain and France from extending recognition and giving assistance to the Confederacy. The North advantage was not just how well the strategies well planned and effective but, the North’s advantage was also due to the argument been fought over during the Civil war such as that fact that the North was fighting against slavery and the South was fighting in favor of slavery which that argument alone caused some difficulties in army strategies such as obtaining alliance. Obtaining alliances was very difficult for the South to gain and hold because many states did not want to get involve due to the slavery issue. The alliance strategy however was not as hard of a request for the North to obtain in fact that was actually one of the strategies’ they adopted to obtain the loyalty of the border states: Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, Missouri and West Virginia which, would eventually benefit them due to the issue that if they wanted to fight the war on Southern soil it meant the North would have to march through hostile border states reason why obtaining alliance’s was a very important strategy to hold during
The North entered the Civil War with many distinct assets that rendered them more competent than the Southern states. Those assets consisted of having more men, more financial stability, economic strength, and far reaching transportation systems. According to the book: Why the North Won the Civil War by Donald, David Herbert, and Richard Nelson the primary cause to the North’s success was given by, “the vast superiority of the North in men and materials, in instruments of production, in communication facilities, in business organization and skill – and assuming for the sake of the argument no more than rough quality in statecraft and generalship – the final outcome seems all but inevitable.” In many ways the north, during the Civil, was more economically dominant than the South
The right military strategy is the key to a war. In order for the South to win the war, they would have needed to apply what is now called a blitzkrieg strategy. This would have been a quick decisive attack on the North to follow up its early victories of Manassas in the East and at Wilson's Creek and Lexington in the West.
When the war began and the union blockaded all their ports the south was out of luck. They had very little industrial workers and manufactured goods compared to the north so during the blockade they could not make their own weapons or food other than corn. (Doc 2) The north had the advantage because they supplied the south with a lot of important items such as cotton-mills and steamships. (Doc 3) They also had better means of transportation. The north had better boats because they had factories equipped to make them and they also had more railroads to transfer weapons and equipment to soldiers. (Doc 1) The north was meant to win from the beginning and even though it took longer than expected they still beat the south and defeated slavery. No one document will tell you that slavery caused the Civil War, but if it had not been for slavery the war would have never
The North and South benefited in many different ways, and both sides would use dissimilar approaches. The Southerners were fighting for a way of life they believed in. Comparing the two, the North had an extensive amount of people which made it easier to establish armies. In the beginning, the Union army only consisted of 16,000 soldiers or less. Southerners deserted the army because they didn’t have the things they needed for fig...
Northern Advantages of the Civil War Some people thought that the winner of the Civil War was determined by the side with the most guns, but the North's victory involved much more. The Civil War produced new technological advances and Lincoln used them to his advantage. One example is how he used trains and the telegraph to help him win the war.
As stated in Industry and Economy During the Civil War, “The North 's larger number of tracks and better ability to construct and move parts gave it a distinct advantage over the South” (Arrington). Having the trains to help move the troops and supplies aided in saving time and strength for the Union army as they moved in to occupy the Confederacy territory. The Union contained approximately 70 percent of the nation’s railroads (Strengths and Weaknesses of the Union and Confederacy Double-Bubble Map). The substantial percentage of railroad tracks was not the only advantage the Union had over the Confederates. They also had trading ships and a large naval force (Strengths and Weaknesses of the Union and Confederacy Double-Bubble Map). However, the Confederacy wasn’t completely unprepared for the war, they had numerous powerful leaders on their side to help protect their land. There were numerous former officers of the United States Army that fought for the South giving them experienced fighters to help with their strategy and they also had numerous well-trained soldiers that were excellent at shooting ("Mr. Dowling The Civil War: Strengths and Weaknesses"). The strengths of having a railroad, navy, and trading ships was a great advantage to the Union, however, the Confederacy had few to none of these except for leaders with
...s, yet they strongly believed that they could be victorious. Despite numerous disadvantages, the South entered the war with some important advantages. The South adopted a strategy like that of George Washington in the American Revolution. The plan, known as attrition, called for a strategy of winning the war by avoiding losing. That is, the South did not have to match the North 's resources, they only needed to avoid full-scale battles and prolong the war making it too costly for their opponents.
Led by Jefferson Davis The Southern strategy early in the Civil War entailed a few different aspects. The South was the largest supplier of cotton to Europe. Producing 700 million pounds of the 900 million pounds Europe used. The South felt if the cotton supply to Europe was interrupted the economic need would make Britain an ally. The South was also outnumbered almost two to one. They new they had to minimize their limitations, while maximizing there Strengths. Avoiding big bloody battles that would certainly decimate the army, Staying home letting the fight come to them and outlasting the Unions will to fight.
The Northern states produced 97 percent of the nation’s firearms, 94 percent of its cloth, and 90 percent of its shoes and boots, providing the Union army with unlimited supplies (Keene, Cornell, O’Donnell 376). The North’s elaborate railroad system was also twice the size of the Confederates states, giving them the advantage in mobility. The South however, knew that they had certain advantages over the North. To begin with, they believed they were fighting a war for independence, much like the one that the colonists had fought against Great Britain a century earlier. The South also had a geographic advantage over the North. In order to be successful at
When thinking about the necessity of war it is always hard to determine when it ever really is essential for change to be made. There are different sides of a war and while sometimes many, in simplest form there are really only two sides of a war. Both sides of a war are said to be correct depending on whom is telling the story or argument. In the case of the Civil War slavery was the main opposition through this time and the division was through the North and the South. On the subject of the Civil War being a battle to be avoid it would have to be no. The Civil War was a long time coming. There are many reasons as to why America could not have continued with such opposing views on the ownership of slaves. With such an issue of an individual’s
The Union already had a stable, potent government and without the South’s opposing views, more laws on business could be passed to boost their economy. The northern states were already self-sufficient. Although, the citizens would have suffered great grief and loss from losing such a bloody war and their most-hated custom still existed, slavery. Nevertheless, I surmise another war would break out between the two countries on the issue of slavery because the Union had a strong opposition towards it that most likely would not be pacified unless the institution was abolished completely. The two needed each other because the South provided raw goods that were used to manufacture finished products the country and other ones could use, which profited for the both of them. As shown through the many brutal battles of the Civil War, both sides were intelligent and tactful in the ways they fought and evaded the other army, so together as one country they would, without a doubt, be an intimidating military. Eventually, the countries would have united once again, even if the Confederates won the
... yet they strongly believed that they could be victorious. Despite numerous disadvantages, the South entered the war with some important advantages. The South adopted a strategy like that of George Washington in the American Revolution. The plan, known as attrition, called for a strategy of winning the war by avoiding losing. That is, the South did not have to match the North's resources, they only needed to avoid full-scale battles and prolong the war making it too costly for their opponents.
...f wearing down the north's patience. The south's idea of northerns as "city slickers" who did not know how to ride or shoot was wrong. Many of the men who formed the Union forces came from rural backgrounds and were just as familiar with riding and shooting as their southern enemies. Finally, the south's confidence in its ability to fund through sales of export crops such as cotton did not take into consideration the northern blockade. France and Britain were not willing to become involved in a military conflict for the sake of something they had already stockpiled. The help the south had received from France and Britain turned out to be a lot less than they expected. In conclusion, while all the south's reasons for confidence were based on reality, they were too hopeful. The south's commitment to a cause was probably what caused their blindness to reality.
Throughout the history of the United States of America we have fought in very powerful wars and have always withstanded, our country's independence was founded by the Revolutionary War for example. But there is always going to be one war that has stood out from the others; the Civil War. The Civil War was fought ENTIRELY on American soil and if you could imagine the casualties in that war then they'd be much higher than your expectations. During this war America was split into two, the Union (North) and the Confederacy (South) which both had much different views on slavery, the North wanted to abolish it entirely but the South had much different plans, their entire economy depended on slavery and if destroyed their core, you destroy their establishment. The North and the South both fought harsh battles, but the battle that lasted three three hot days would have to be
The Civil War that took place in the United States from 1861 to 1865 could have easily swung either way at several points during the conflict. There is however several reasons that the North would emerge victorious from this bloody war that pit brother against brother. Some of the main contributing factors are superior industrial capabilities, more efficient logistical support, greater naval power, and a largely lopsided population in favor of the Union. Also one of the advantages the Union had was that of an experienced government, an advantage that very well might have been one of the greatest contributing factors to their success. There are many reasons factors that lead to the North's victory, and each of these elements in and amongst themselves was extremely vital to the effectiveness of the Northern military forces. Had any one of these factors not been in place the outcome of the war could have been significantly different, and the United States as we know it today could be quite a different place to live.