The Civil War (1861-1865)

The Civil War (1861-1865)

Your Opinion• Why did the North win the

Civil War?

• Superior numbers and industrial strength

• Superior military strategy and leadership

• Won enough decisive battles to sustain war effort and wear down the South

• Lost Cause explanation- South doomed to lose even before the war begin due to North’s greater economic abilities and population

The issue: Do the Southern states have the right to withdraw from the Union if they decide that being a part of it is no longer in their best interests? Or would secession and the formation of the Confederate States of America constitute a rebellion?Arguments for Secession: The federal government is instituting policies that go against the best interests of the South, such as tariffs that disproportionately hurt the South and attempts to free the slaves who work on Southern plantations. Just as the colonists had the right to declare independence from Britain nearly a century ago, the South has the right to seek its independence from the Union.Arguments against Secession: When all of the states entered the Union they essentially formed a binding compact; for that compact to be broken, all states must agree to its dissolution, not just a handful of them. Preservation of the Union is far more important than the complaints of individual states; the country would be weaker if it were divided into two.

Crisis Over Slavery• Conclusion: Analysis of the sectional crisis of the 1850’s

• 1) How did politicians attempt to resolve the crisis over slavery? • Attempts to address issues:

▫ By avoiding slavery & urging sectional compromise• Resulted in…

▫ Failure of Compromises ▫ Attempts to legislate slavery/expansion failed▫ Policies and decisions that provoked polarization

• 2) What happened to the national political parties?• Collapse of Whig Party • Rise of Republican Party (incorporated smaller third parties)• Split of Democratic Party- North and South faction• Ultimately sectional loyalties developed into sectional parties

paving the way for Lincoln’s election in 1860

I. Sectional Crisis- 1850’s

•1. Election of 1860

•SC secedes from theUnion Dec. 20, 1860

II. Irreconcilable Differences

1861 7 states seceded▫ Secessionist

arguments•2. Creation of the

Confederacy▫ Jefferson Davis

(Moderate)▫ CSA

II. Irreconcilable Differences

• 3. Attempts to peacefully resolve fail

• Crittenden Compromise

• Fort Sumter (April 12)▫ First shots of war

fired▫ Civil War: April

1861-Aprl 1865

Military OrganizationARMY- composed of several corps, commanded by a generalCORPS- composed of three divisions, commanded by a generalDIVISION- composed of three to four brigades, commanded by a generalBRIGADE- composed of four to six regiments, commanded by a generalREGIMENT- composed of ten companies, commanded by a colonelCOMPANY- 100 officers and men, commanded by a captain.

MILITARY STRATEGY AND TACTICS

Military strategy and tactics are essential to the conduct of warfare.

• Strategy is the planning, coordination, and general direction of military operations to meet overall political and military objectives.

• Tactics implement strategy by short-term decisions on the movement of troops and employment of weapons on the field of battle. (20th C. term: operational strategy)The great military theorist Carl von Clausewitz put it another way: "Tactics is the art of using troops in battle; strategy is the art of using battles to win the war."

MILITARY STRATEGY AND TACTICS

III. Mobilization for War• Q. How would you assess each sides chances for winning?

•A. Advantage belonged to…

Manpower 5:2

Manufacturing Railroad Lines

III. Mobilization for War

•A. Union Advantages (Cont.)▫Professional army & navy▫Centralized gov.

•B. Confederate Advantages▫Defensive war▫Home ground▫Size: obstacle to North

III. Mobilization for War•C. Generals

▫USA: Ulysses S. Grant & William T. Sherman▫CSA: Robert E. Lee & Thomas “Stonewall”

Jackson•Training: West Point

▫Flank v frontal assaults•D. International alliance?

▫Am. Revolution precedent

• Q. How would you assess each sides chances for winning?

III. Mobilization for War

•E. Strategic Military Planning▫USA- Anaconda Plan

Naval Blockade Mississippi River Richmond

▫CSA Defensive Alliance

•Eastern & Western Theater of War

For Discussion

•Which is most potent on a battlefield where force and its employment drive combat outcomes?

▫Numbers, technology, & tactics?▫Or

Operational and tactical intelligence?

IV. Early Years of the War 1861-1862

• F. First major battle: Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) on July 21, 1861▫ Victory for CSA when intelligence provided necessary reinforcements▫ Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson▫ USA- 1,500 casualties (1,200 missing)▫ CSA- 2,000 casualties

IV. Early Years of the War 1861-1862

• G. Naval blockade (Dec. 1861)▫ Blockade runners ▫ Trent crisis

• H. Western Theater▫ USA victories under Grant

Fort Henry Fort Donelson Nashville Shiloh New Orleans Memphis

IV. Early Years of the War 1861-1862•I. Eastern Theater

• USA McClellan’s Peninsula Campaign (March-July 1862)

• 1st phase ends indecisive (Robert E. Lee)• 2nd phase cavalry ride• 3rd phase Lee’s offensive at 7 Days Battle drives USA forces back

• CSA Momentum:▫ 1st Battle of Bull Run▫ P. Campaign▫ 2nd Battle of Bull Run

V. Middle of the War 1862-1863•Q. What impact does war have

on public morale & will power? •CSA invades KY (W) and MD (E)

▫Motivations-logistics▫Resulted in tactical stalemates

•Sept. 1862 Antietam (Sharpsburg)▫Bloodiest one day battle

23,000 casualties•High casualty rates- modern

weapons but old style formation

Battle of Antietam

Animated Maps of Battlefields • First Bull Run

http://civilwaranimated.com/first-manassas-east-38

• Antietam http://civilwaranimated.com/antietam-east-34

• Animated Chancellorsville http://civilwaranimated.com/chancellorsville-east-35

• Gettysburg animation http://civilwaranimated.com/GettysburgAnimation.html

V. Middle of the War 1862-1863•Emancipation Proclamation (January 1,

1863)▫All slaves in rebel states freed

•Redefined goals of war: Preservation of Union & end of slavery

V. Middle of the War 1862-1863

• Draft laws▫ CSA Conscription Law: 18-35 served 3 year term (80%

mobilized)▫ Union: Conscription Act (50% mobilized)

violent draft riots become race riots (ex. New York Draft Riot)

“Rich man’s war, poor man’s fight” Influx of immigrants

▫ Wealthy could hire substitutes• War time powers

North: Lincoln suspends habeas corpus South: CSA as violating states rights

• Waging War▫ Men, money, supplies

V. Middle of the War 1862-1863•Lincoln expects results: Generals

McClellan-Burnside-Hooker proved disapponting

•Winter of 1862-’63: mixed record▫West: Vicksburg & Stones River▫East: Fredericksburg & Chancellorsville

Flank attack•Northern morale lowest

VI. Turning Points 1863

•Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3 1863)▫Motivation-logistics

Day One

Gettysburg- Day Two

Gettysburg- Day Three1/3 of Lee’s men die in famous Pickett’s ChargeUnion General Meade defeats Lee- total 50,000

casualties

VI. Turning Points 1863 (Cont.)

•Union victories:▫Gettysburg (July 3rd)▫Fall of Vicksburg (July 4th)▫Chattanooga (Nov. 25th)

•Tide of CSA victories reversed

•Q. Should the CSA have avoided invading the United States?

VI. Turning Points 1863

•Gettysburg Address: consecration of ground and principles of the nationYou know the opening line…“government of the people, by the people, and for the people”

VII. Prolonged Defeat of the Confederacy 1864-1865•Q. Was military defeat or loss of will

more important in bringing ultimate Confederate failure?

•Home Front▫Both sides shared: loss of life, serving in

military▫CSA: destruction of property, military

occupation, civilian displacement, inflation, 1/5 of male population dies, defeat

VII. Prolonged Defeat of the Confederacy 1864-1865•Grant’s Strategy 1864

▫Grant v Lee: take Richmond▫Sherman strike economic & transportation

base•Bloody campaign season•Union victories:

▫Mobile▫Atlanta▫Shenandoah Valley

•Lincoln secures re-election

VII. Prolonged Defeat of the Confederacy 1864-1865•Sherman’s March to the Sea•Atlanta to Savannah- 60 miles•Concept of total war

▫Hardship to home front

VII. Prolonged Defeat of the Confederacy 1864-1865•1865 9 Months of Siege warfare (Grant v

Lee)▫Petersburg (April 1st)▫Richmond (April 2nd)

•Appomattox (April 9th 1865▫Surrender of Lee

VII. Prolonged Defeat of the Confederacy 1864-1865• Wartime Reconstruction Plans• Lincoln’s 10% Plan• Unpopular with radical Republicans in Congress• Alternative the Wade-Davis Bill- pocket veto by

Lincoln▫Ironclad Oath: must swear had never voluntarily

taken up arms against the United States▫Attempt to bar ex-Confederates from political

power • 13th Amendment ended slavery

▫Approved by Congress Feb. 1865▫Ratified by the States in Dec. 1865

VII. Prolonged Defeat of the Confederacy 1864-1865•April 14, 1865 Lincoln assassinated by

John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater•Lee’s surrender and Lincoln’s death

ended the war

VIII. Conclusion

•620,000 lives•Secession illegal•Superiority of central government