I believe that the South never had a chance to win the Civil War, but I need some back up as to why!. If anyone could give me information based on economic and political factors, that would be great!. Thanks in advance!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
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Position:Home>History> Did the South have a chance to win the Civil War?Question: Did the South have a chance to win the Civil War!? I believe that the South never had a chance to win the Civil War, but I need some back up as to why!. If anyone could give me information based on economic and political factors, that would be great!. Thanks in advance!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: It boils down to resident wealth, heavy industry and population, all of which the North had in plentiful numbers!. Recall that the South in those days produced primarily crops and cotton!. There was no heavy industry, such as iron mills, oil production, factories, or other industrial age advancements that far South!. Further, immigration flooding the country was into New York and most of those individuals stayed North, or went to the Midwest, or West to raise families and make a living!. The South was an agrarian society!. The North was an industrial society!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Id have to disagree with you!.The south had plenty of opportunity's to sway the popularity of this conflict!.If they had followed up at Mannassas,at Shiloh, Gettysburg,Chicamaugwa,Antietam, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, the tide of war would have changed in their favor!.As causuaties became overwhelming to the union soldiers, this war was very unpopular!.If Sherman doesnt take Atlanta,Lincoln might have lost the election, and perhaps a imperfect peace might have resulted with a different president!.Www@QuestionHome@Com A few chances!. If the South had not attacked Fort Sumter, Lincoln may not have had a reason to declare war on the South!. Gettysburg - if the South had won this battle and advanced in a flanking move against Washington DC panic may have ensued!. Antietam - if the South had won this battle they may have gained official recognition from Britain and France!. This may have tipped the diplomatic scales in favor of the South!. Www@QuestionHome@Com On paper, no they had no chance!. The north was much more industrialised and had many more men!. But they did have chances to win!. Gettysburg is the most notable, the second day there was very finely balanced and victory there might have forced Lincoln to negotiate a peace - and for the south that would have to have included independence!. Lee's first "invasion" of the north in September 1862 was another chance!. Had it not been for the discovery of his battle order used to wrap three cigars and left at an old campsite, Lee might have been victorious over McClellan and forced Lincoln to negotiate!. Www@QuestionHome@Com The South pinned their hope upon two fallacies: First, that the Union wouldn't fight, and secondly that the cotton trade would continue with Britain and that Britain might even become an ally!. This is strange, considering that Britain outlawed slavery in 1833, and the public was in no mood to support a slave state!. The South received many of the best generals who deserted the Union Army before fighting broke out!. The Union had vast resources compared to the South!. The South had a small population with a small network of rail lines and a very small industrial base!. The North dwarfed the South in iron and steel production, had a much bigger population (especially populous states were Mass,, Ct!.,NY, PA and Ohio)!. The North had all the spinning mills, so they simply turned to wool to clothe the troops!. The entire economy of the South was smaller than that of New York City!. Anyone who coolly analyzed these facts would have been wise to put off conflict!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Maybe, you can try to look for a beginning of answer, by reading the book: "The Confederate States of America: What Might Have Been", written by historian Roger Ransom!. The book is an excellent one, because, far from the usual fantasy flights of many counterfarctual authors, always seks to maintain contact with historical reality!. Ransom, although with some prudence, thinks that Confederates could have had a real chance to win the war, that doesn't of course automatically mens that CSA wuold still exist today!. I have some more reservations on Ransom's brilliantly developed theory, but in any case enjoy the book!.!.!. Gianluca from Turin, Italy dicor!.avv@libero!.it Www@QuestionHome@Com I think in essence your right, however your going to get answers from people in the south that disagree!. The reason is that the North had the manufacturing advantage over the south!. the South had to import all weapons and other needs, where the North profited from making their own items for war* Www@QuestionHome@Com well i dont think they should have gone on the offensive, if you are outmanned, out supplied, out everything like the south was, you dont go on an offensive war and that was really the turning point of the warWww@QuestionHome@Com With the assistance of foreign intervention, maybe!. But isolated from world trade the South ran out of money to feed itself, let alone support massive armies in the field!. Www@QuestionHome@Com |