Fighting the Civil War: America’s First Total War
Writing My First 17B Paper Was…
A. A better experience than I thought.
B. A worse experience than I thought.
C. The worse experience of my college career.
How Do We Define “Total War”?
Number of Casualties (620,000 dead or 5.9 million in today’s terms).
Growth of Government and Mobilization of Resources
War Against Civilian Population Thesis: North was able to attack southern
home front and thus won the war.
A Quick War?Huge Northern Advantages
Manpower, Industrial Capacity
A Quick War?Huge Northern Advantages
Manpower, Industrial Capacity
Naval Power (Move Supplies, Attack)
Southern Advantages
Win by Not Losing
(Example of American Revolution)
Southern Advantages
Win by Not Losing
South Has Best Officers in Early Years
Southern Advantages
Win by Not Losing
South Has Best Officers in Early Years
South Attacked Northern Supply Lines
Southern Advantages Win by Not Losing
South Has Best Officers in Early Years
South Attacked Northern Supply Lines
Advent of Rifled Musket
The Rifled Musket Inflicts Staggering Casualties
The Rifled MusketIncreased RangeFrom 80 Yards to More than 400 Yards.
“Glory” Demonstrates Impact of Rifled Musket
Story of Robert Gould Shaw and the Massachusetts 54th Regiment
Massed Attacks Face Huge Casualties Amputations Frequent and Dangerous Officers Have Particularly High Casualty Rates
The Development of Trench Warfare Adds to the Slaughter
Between May 4 and June 20, 1864, U. S. Grant’s Army Suffered 65,000 Causalities.
Huge Causalities Made Home Front Crucial
How does your side maintain support of the war over long period of time?
North Made Political Decision to Make War on Southern Homefront
Emancipation of slaves (Thursday’s lecture)
North Effectively Made War on Southern Homefront
Emancipation of slaves Naval blockade caused
severe shortages, inflation.
North Effectively Made War on Southern Homefront
Emancipation of slaves Naval blockade caused
severe shortages, inflation.
Direct destruction of southern homes, farms, and railroads
Decisive Blow:Sherman’s March to the Sea, 1864-
1865
Impact on Confederate Morale:
Desertion and Manpower
Women and children suffered greatly: honorable to come home.
Lee in February 1865: “Hundreds of men are deserting nightly.” Eight percent of his army deserts that month.
Was Total War Justified?
A. Yes
B. No
Costs of Total War
A. The Moral Problem of Civilian Deaths
B. Reconciliation More Difficult
C. The Rise of the Corporatist State