Donald stoker, there was no offensivedefensive confederate strategy, 581582. Lee, hurt the longterm chances of confederate victory. Learn confederate strategy with free interactive flashcards. The pulitzer prizewinning author reveals how lincoln won the civil war and invented the role of commander in chief as we know it as we celebrate the bicentennial of lincolns birth, this study by preeminent, bestselling civil war historian james m. Confederate states of america military wiki fandom. For four years, lee influenced southern military strategy, making him one of the most revered generals in american history. See all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Military strategy and tactics of the civil war essay bartleby. Aug 26, 2007 abraham lincolns policy was to preserve the union and it quickly became apparent that that would mean a military subjugation of the south. Gallagher discusses the confederate side of the war in four specific areas.
Confederate military history, volume 8, tennessee and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. On the 2hh of june the two assaults were made at the time and in the manner prescribed, and both failed, costing us many valuable lives, among them those of generals harker and mccook. When the american civil war began, president abraham lincoln was far less prepared for the task of commander in chief than his southern adversary. Many allege that the confederacy lost the civil war because of internal division or. But if i had not, these books still would have given me a priceless education as they have for millions of other people. The 33 strategies of war, the 48 laws of power by robert greene. First, tanner finds that the south was not as large as proponents of a fabian strategy contend. Harsh argues that both lee and davis understood this salient point. Describe the confederate military strategy that was executed. Mcpherson provides a rare, fresh take on one of the most enigmatic figures in american history. An illustrated set of confederate military history books. To get a better understanding of how the civil war played out as it did, it is helpful to evaluate the strategies of both the north and the south in the civil war the battles and events that took place were not random encounters or skirmishes but were instead, wellplanned and thoughtout strategies to secure supplies, keep lines of military communication open, prevent wide scale casualties. May 11, 2015 donald stoker, there was no offensivedefensive confederate strategy, 581582.
The confederacy later accepted two additional states as members missouri and kentucky although neither officially seceded and there was never any real confederate. Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. Confederate strategy in the civil war the southern commander at manassas was pierre g. Abraham lincolns policy was to preserve the union and it quickly became apparent that that would mean a military subjugation of the south. Lee, an experienced, educated, and extremely successful career military officer. The hour was fixed, and all the details given in field orders, no. Grants failed presidency understanding abe lincolns first shot strategy. Robert tanner does not buy any of this and sets out to attack the construct point by point. Fuller, liddell hart, douhet, and other modernists april 30, 2001.
They were tactics which would have been familiar to napoleon fifty years earlier. This is unfortunate, because strategy is something that is critically relevant to all of us not just those with careers in the military. Evans that deals with specific topics related to the military personalities, places, battles, and campaigns in various southern united states, including those. Jul 11, 2017 to get a better understanding of how the civil war played out as it did, it is helpful to evaluate the strategies of both the north and the south in the civil war the battles and events that took place were not random encounters or skirmishes but were instead, wellplanned and thoughtout strategies to secure supplies, keep lines of military communication open, prevent wide scale casualties. Or it might be a battle and you say whether it was a victory for the union or confederate. Texts about military strategy take us back into the mists of time but what it is, and what the nature of war is, remains hotly debated. Gardiners photographic sketch book of the civil war april 30, 2001. However, i would like to add just a bit to the discussion, which hopefully may expand on the answers already provided.
Confederate military history is a 12volume series of books written andor edited by former confederate general clement a. In order to understand the military strategy and tactics of union and the confederacy, one must understand the manpower each side had, previous war experience of the commanding officers on both side, and using rivers and railroad to their advantages. Of course, i am biased because i trained under robert. The confederate war should provide good reading for all students of confederate nationalism and will generate lively debate among historians of the american civil war for years to come. Heading the confederate forces in the shenandoah valley was gen. These difficulties were exacerbated by a divided leadership structure that limited prompt coordination between military departments. Civil war antique book 1st ed 1866 union confederate army us military slavery. Many strategy and tactics were used during the american civil war. Confederate strategy, 18601863 the union needed to go on the offensive and invade confederate territory, but the confederacy just wanted to survive and defend its right to secede. Jan 14, 20 the confederate strategy was to 1 quickly demoralize the north with fast and frequent victories on northern ground, 2 divide the northern forces led by the army of northern virginia with d. This is unfortunate, because strategy is something that is critically relevant to.
Jun 22, 2003 the question mark in the title suggests his thesistanner is skeptical about the practicality of a battleavoidance strategy. Heading the rebel forces in the shenandoah valley was joseph e. Hell, most people probably couldnt tell you the difference between strategy and tactics or even know there is a difference. In order to understand the military strategy and tactics of union and the confederacy, one must understand the manpower each side had, previous war experience of the commanding officers on both side, and using rivers and railroad to. This is an essay that looks at if the confederates had used a different defensive strategy in the civil war. Seven states joined before the war began, and four of the upper south were admitted afterwards. What northern and southern military tactics ended the. Compare the union and confederate military strategies. The souths weak infrastructure also affected confederate military strategy. The best books on military strategy five books expert. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at.
Confederate aims to incorporate the border states and to secure the resources of the upper south demanded offensive strategic planning by confederate military leaders. Historians have long debated the wisdom of the confederate armies risking large casualties through ferocious combat in order to preserve southern territorial integrity and win independence through aggressive tactical engagement. Johnston, a small, impeccably attired, ambitious but cautious man with a piercing gaze and an. Bruce cauthen, nation and nationalism gallaghers book challenges the nonmilitary historians to come out from behind the barricades once again. Dipping into these books in preparation for meeting you today, there seems to be quite a lot. A global history yale university press, 2020, he sets out to demonstrate the ways in which strategic thinking has changed over time, paying attention to the changes in technology, ideology and ambition by which it has been shaped.
Robert is a crack researcher and storyteller he has a profound ability to explain timeless. A brief description of strategy as applied to the civil war. Of the nearly three million men two million union and 750,000 confederate who served in the military during the war, 620,000 died 360,000 union and 260,000 confederate, 214,938 in battle and the rest from disease and other causes. This book sets the stage for taken at the flood by establishing the strategy and events that resulted in the antietam campaign. So it gives a person, goal, advantage, disadvantage, or strategy and you say if it is union or confederate. If one is to believe contemporary historians, the south never had a chance. Of course, the territory of the seceding states is a wellestablished fact and it is impressively large. To get a better understanding of how the civil war played out as it did, it is helpful to evaluate the strategies of both the north and the south in the civil war the battles and events that took place were not random encounters or skirmishes but were instead, wellplanned and thoughtout strategies to secure supplies, keep lines of military communication open, prevent wide scale. The northern strategy should, therefore, have been one of mass invasion of the south on all fronts, much like.
Both the union and confederate armies employed very similar battlefield tactics, described as linear during the civil war. Illustrated set of confederate military history books ebth. French, an officer in the armies of the united states and the confederate states, a graduate from the u. Derived from the greek word strategos, the term strategy, when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow sense as the art of the general, or the art of arrangement of troops. The organizational history of the confederate states army in the civil war, by dan c. He was second in his class at westpoint, as well as a valuable asset during the mexican war. Gallaghers book challenges the nonmilitary historians to come out from behind the barricades once again. Or it might be a battle and you say whether it was a victory for. I think the question has been expertly answered already. Confederate strategy the confederate commander at manassas was brig. Nov 08, 2017 i think the question has been expertly answered already. Military strategy in the american civil war hardcover. The confederacy was originally formed by seven secessionist slaveholding statessouth carolina, mississippi, florida, alabama, georgia, louisiana, and texasin the lower south region of the united states, whose economy was. As a result, the confederate strategy of offensivedefensive operations often undertook aggressive strategies.
Lincoln as commander in chief history smithsonian magazine. Confederate president jefferson davis eventually chose an offensivedefensive strategy, a more flexible defense system in which troops moved around to meet military needs instead of trying to keep. By 1863, horses and mules were scarce, which limited the mobility of the armys cavalry, artillery, and baggage trains. The arguments which gallagher employs to support his central thesis are well constructed and quite persuasive. The question mark in the title suggests his thesistanner is skeptical about the practicality of a battleavoidance strategy. The confederate states of america csa, or confederacy, was a government set up in february 1861 by cotton states of the lower south. Page 381 it is with heartfelt satisfaction, that the commanding general announces to the army, that the operations of the last three days have determined that our enemy must either ingloriously fly, or come out from behind his defences, and give us battle on our own ground, where certain destruction awaits him. Sep 01, 1997 this is a short book that looks at the civil war through the eyes of the confederate states. The confederate strategy was to 1 quickly demoralize the north with fast and frequent victories on northern ground, 2 divide the northern forces led by the army of northern virginia with d. One critique of confederate military strategy contends that the offensive penchant of southern leaders, especially but not exclusively robert e.
This book can be read as a standalone history or with taken at the flood. Lee and confederate strategy in the maryland campaign of 1862 april 26, 2001. The northern strategy should, therefore, have been one of mass invasion of the south on all fronts, much like that which was eventually undertaken under grant in 1864. This is a short book that looks at the civil war through the eyes of the confederate states. This complete set of books includes eleven volumes, one dedicated to the history of each confederate state.
Strategy isnt something thats taught well in school. Antulio echevarria ii of the us army war college talks us through key books, both old and new, on military strategy. Confederate military history, a library of confederate states military history. Choose from 46 different sets of confederate strategy flashcards on quizlet. The confederate states of america was a collection of 11 states that seceded from the united states in 1860 following the election of president abraham lincoln. Buy a cheap copy of the confederate war book by gary w. The confederate states of america was a collection of 11 states that seceded from the united states in 1860 following the election of president. Grants war strategy that made 3 confederate armies surrender. Beauregard, the dapper, voluble hero of fort sumter, napoleonic in manner and aspiration. Johnston, a small, impeccably attired, ambitious but cautious man with a piercing gaze and an outsized sense of dignity. An interesting look at one of the great what ifs of the civil war. Johnston, a small, impeccably attired, ambitious but cautious man with a piercing gaze and an outsized. Popular confederate books meet your next favorite book.