- #1
timmeister37
- 124
- 25
In Ken Burns' documentary The Civil War, Shelby Foote said, "The North fought the war with one hand tied behind their back. If there had been more southern victories, and i mean a lot more, i think that the North would have just took that other arm out from behind their back. I don't think that the South had any chance to win that war." I disagree with Shelby Foote on this.
It is simplistic and juvenile to interpret the outcome of the Civil War as strictly preordained due to the imbalance in resources. Resources were a factor in limiting the South's margin of error, rather than a final determinant. There are any number of mistakes that the South made that contributed to their defeat. Strictly brainstorming, here are some of their mistakes:
1# the decision to fire on Fort Sumter instead of using that time productively diplomatically, economically, and militarily. The blockade was not in place before Fort Sumter, and the northern ships were still picking up cotton at southern ports during the time period after the formation of the Confederacy and before Fort Sumter. Before the war, the South should have used that time to trade as much cotton as they could for war materials such as rifled muskets, artillery, battleships, and other war materials. The South needed more war materials, not more cotton. Also, the South should have fortified as much as possible before the war.2# the decision to build Fort Henry in a flood plain which led to the Confederates having to abandon it due to it flooding
3# the failure to adopt and implement a plan to keep Fort Donelson from being captured by the Federals. Fort Donelson was (foolishly) designed only to protect against an attack by water, not an attack by land. 4# Also, the failure to establish a unified command structure at Fort Donelson, which made it extremely difficult for the Confederates to defend Fort Donelson. These two mistakes at Fort Donelson led not only to the Confederates losing Fort Donelson but also the capture of 10,000 Confederate troops who surrendered there.
4# the failure to adopt and implement a strategy to keep Vicksburg from being captured by the Federals. The Confederacy failed to establish a unified command structure in the Confederate forces both in Vicksburg and in the vicinity of Vicksburg. The South could have kept Vicksburg, but they did not coordinate with each other. The left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing. The CSA could have sent troops from the Army of Northern Virginia to attack Rosecrans, to draw Federal troops away from Vicksburg. The Federals took Vicksburg by siege by starving the citizens and the troops into surrendering. The Confederates should have stocked Vicksburg with non-perishable foodstuffs before the siege.
5# the failure to adopt and implement a plan to keep New Orleans from being captured by the Federals
6# the failure to adopt and implement a plan to save Atlanta from being captured
7# Pickett's charge at Gettysburg cost the South 6,000 troops that they desperately needed
8# CSA General Hood decision to make the charge at Franklin cost the South troops it desperately needed for little gain
9# the failure of the South to properly fortify the areas that they desperately needed to protect such as the Selma Ironworks, Chattanooga, Richmond, Savannah, New Orleans, and Richmond. Forts can be a great force multiplier. The SOuth could win the war just by not losing. Also, the South was greatly outnumbered. Fortifying the South would have been an effective strategy.
10# the Confederates mistake of leaving Lee's battle plans so that the Federals found them and knew Lee's plans at Antietam
11# the Confederate's picket lines accidentally shooting General Stonewall Jackson after Chancellorsville
12# The failure to immediately open the cotton trade with Europe, rather than embargo it.
13# Confederate General Polk's decision to violate Kentucky neutrality. If General Polk had not violated Kentucky neutrality, Kentucky would have provided an excellent buffer zone for the Confederacy. Kentucky neutrality would have freed up a lot of Confederate troops to defend other areas.----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The South lost the Civil War in the West. There was a substantial peace movement in the North at certain times in the war even with all these huge CSA mistakes. Imagine how strong the peace movement would have been with northern casualties doubled for far less strategic gains. Imagine how strong the peace movement would have been in the North if the South managed to keep Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, and Vicksburg. I think that the North would not have been willing to take that other hand out from behind their back if they took much heavier casualties for little or no strategic gains.
It is simplistic and juvenile to interpret the outcome of the Civil War as strictly preordained due to the imbalance in resources. Resources were a factor in limiting the South's margin of error, rather than a final determinant. There are any number of mistakes that the South made that contributed to their defeat. Strictly brainstorming, here are some of their mistakes:
1# the decision to fire on Fort Sumter instead of using that time productively diplomatically, economically, and militarily. The blockade was not in place before Fort Sumter, and the northern ships were still picking up cotton at southern ports during the time period after the formation of the Confederacy and before Fort Sumter. Before the war, the South should have used that time to trade as much cotton as they could for war materials such as rifled muskets, artillery, battleships, and other war materials. The South needed more war materials, not more cotton. Also, the South should have fortified as much as possible before the war.2# the decision to build Fort Henry in a flood plain which led to the Confederates having to abandon it due to it flooding
3# the failure to adopt and implement a plan to keep Fort Donelson from being captured by the Federals. Fort Donelson was (foolishly) designed only to protect against an attack by water, not an attack by land. 4# Also, the failure to establish a unified command structure at Fort Donelson, which made it extremely difficult for the Confederates to defend Fort Donelson. These two mistakes at Fort Donelson led not only to the Confederates losing Fort Donelson but also the capture of 10,000 Confederate troops who surrendered there.
4# the failure to adopt and implement a strategy to keep Vicksburg from being captured by the Federals. The Confederacy failed to establish a unified command structure in the Confederate forces both in Vicksburg and in the vicinity of Vicksburg. The South could have kept Vicksburg, but they did not coordinate with each other. The left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing. The CSA could have sent troops from the Army of Northern Virginia to attack Rosecrans, to draw Federal troops away from Vicksburg. The Federals took Vicksburg by siege by starving the citizens and the troops into surrendering. The Confederates should have stocked Vicksburg with non-perishable foodstuffs before the siege.
5# the failure to adopt and implement a plan to keep New Orleans from being captured by the Federals
6# the failure to adopt and implement a plan to save Atlanta from being captured
7# Pickett's charge at Gettysburg cost the South 6,000 troops that they desperately needed
8# CSA General Hood decision to make the charge at Franklin cost the South troops it desperately needed for little gain
9# the failure of the South to properly fortify the areas that they desperately needed to protect such as the Selma Ironworks, Chattanooga, Richmond, Savannah, New Orleans, and Richmond. Forts can be a great force multiplier. The SOuth could win the war just by not losing. Also, the South was greatly outnumbered. Fortifying the South would have been an effective strategy.
10# the Confederates mistake of leaving Lee's battle plans so that the Federals found them and knew Lee's plans at Antietam
11# the Confederate's picket lines accidentally shooting General Stonewall Jackson after Chancellorsville
12# The failure to immediately open the cotton trade with Europe, rather than embargo it.
13# Confederate General Polk's decision to violate Kentucky neutrality. If General Polk had not violated Kentucky neutrality, Kentucky would have provided an excellent buffer zone for the Confederacy. Kentucky neutrality would have freed up a lot of Confederate troops to defend other areas.----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The South lost the Civil War in the West. There was a substantial peace movement in the North at certain times in the war even with all these huge CSA mistakes. Imagine how strong the peace movement would have been with northern casualties doubled for far less strategic gains. Imagine how strong the peace movement would have been in the North if the South managed to keep Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, and Vicksburg. I think that the North would not have been willing to take that other hand out from behind their back if they took much heavier casualties for little or no strategic gains.
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