Why Did Davis Win The Civil War Essay

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Military policy and tactics are a major contributing factor to what ultimately wins or loses a war. In a war in which two sides of a single country are fighting each other, one can only imagine the difficulties in conceiving the proper strategies to win a war of such nature. Both Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis found themselves facing this unfathomable situation at the infancy of the American Civil War. The role of Commander in Chief is undoubtedly an important one, but it is made paramount during wartime. Although both certainly performed admirably, the Northern Union ultimately beat the Southern Confederacy. There are many reasons for this victory, but having the competent and determined Lincoln at the helm had a tremendous …show more content…

Over the course of the war, the Confederacy teetered between offensive and defensive campaigns. Although Davis reportedly preferred a, “thoroughly defensive, survival-oriented grand strategy,” according to Steven E. Woodworth, his actions and orders didn’t always reflect this preference. Some notable campaigns that turned the tide of war were General Robert E. Lee and General Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson repelling McCllelan’s forces from the Rappahannock peninsula, and Lee’s later campaigns in Virginia and Kentucky. The term offensive-defensive came about as a result of these campaigns. It wasn’t clear if Davis was in full support of this strategy, but Lee most definitely was, and Lee was Davis’s champion similarly to Grant for Lincoln. Lee felt that, “There is nothing to be gained by this army remaining quietly on the defensive,” and when the Confederate situation grew more desperate, Lee told Jubal Early, “we must destroy this army of Grant’s before he gets to the James River. If he gets there, it will become a siege and then it will be a mere question of time.” Although Davis had a superior military background, his wishy-washy interactions with his generals, and support of different strategies was his

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