McClellan, believed that he was too quick to engage the Confederate Army in open battle and too slow to retreat or regroup when necessary. Some of his peers, such as General George B. In fact, other Union generals often criticized Grant for being too aggressive and too willing to take risks on the battlefield. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman took command, that the Union began to achieve more decisive victories on the battlefield. It was not until later in the war, when more experienced and aggressive generals such as Ulysses S. Overall, the timidity of Union generals at the start of the Civil War was a significant factor in the Union's slow and often ineffective response to the Confederate threat. As a result, they were often reluctant to take the initiative or engage in offensive operations, preferring instead to defend their positions and wait for the Confederates to attack. The Union Army was poorly trained, poorly equipped, and poorly organized at the start of the conflict, and many of its generals were overwhelmed by the scale and intensity of the fighting. The Union's remaining generals were largely inexperienced and untested, and they were often hesitant to take risks or engage in aggressive action for fear of failure.Īnother factor contributing to the timidity of Union generals was the Union Army's overall lack of preparedness for the war. Lee, had resigned their commissions to join the Confederacy, leaving the Union Army with a leadership vacuum. Many of the Union's senior generals, such as Winfield Scott and Robert E. One of the main reasons for this timidity was the Union's lack of experienced military leadership at the start of the war. This was particularly evident in the Eastern Theater of the war, where Union commanders were often hesitant to engage the Confederate Army in open battle and preferred to rely on defensive tactics and fortifications. The South depended on the outside world for most of its manufactured goods.ĭuring the early years of the American Civil War, many Union generals were criticized for their timidity and lack of aggressive action on the battlefield. The Southern economy was less adaptable because of the weakness of the industrial base. The Union dominated the nation’s economy, controlling most of the banking and capital of the country, more than 85% of the factories, more than 70% of the railroads, and even 65% of the farmlands. Lee, something that the North did not have at the beginning of the war. Strong military leadership under Robert E. The Union hoped that its population of 22 million against the Confederate population of only 5.5 million free white would work to its favor in a war of attrition. The idea was to blockade all the ocean ports on the Atlantic and Gulf as well as the ports on the Mississippi, literally constricting the South (like an Anaconda). The North had more resources and thus could afford a longer war, especially since their Anaconda Plan could strangle the South’s ability to trade or receive resources through its naval blockade of Southern ports and coastline. Unfortunately for them, the British just got their cotton from Egypt and India instead. They were sure that Great Britain would support them because of their need for southern cotton. The South wanted a short war and needed European support. It involves the use of all available economic, political, and social resources, including the conscription of soldiers, the mobilization of industry, and the use of propaganda to support the war effort. Total war is a term used to describe a conflict in which all of the resources and capabilities of a society are mobilized for the purpose of achieving military victory. The Civil War was a total war because it involved every aspect of society. □Watch: AP US History - The Road to the Civil Warįor the United States, the Civil War saw the unprecedented mobilization of manpower and materials alongside unprecedented carnage on the battlefield.
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