Why did the South lose the Civil War?

Answer 1

It's quite simple. The Union had the advantage of superior numbers and a greater industrial base. Another contributing factor is that the Southern states were resistant to any sort of centralized control. They were, after all, fighting for the right of the States, and considered centralized government a Bad Thing. So, lacking an adequate industrail base, the South was more dependent on foreign trade to supply its army, and throughout the war attempted to get recognition and alliances with European nations (particularly France and England), hoping for military or diplomatic backing from Europe. The problem with that was, even Jefferson Davis recognized that England and France were not likely to support the Confederacy with slavery intact. So, to summarize, the South lacked the industry, lacked the manpower, and lacked the political ability to the main thing necessary to get outside help. Despite the undeniable valor of the Confederate army, it really was a Lost Cause from the start.

Answer 2

Not only did the north have so many more manpower than the South, slaves escaped and joined the North in one way or another. However, the South was very close to winning at one time, but the North pulled through. There was much betrayal during the war on both sides, especially for the South which definitly helped in their demise.

The North had an established government and therefore did not have to waste time trying to set up a governing system as did the South. Almost all of the nation's industry was located in the North. This diversified industry allowed the North the ability to mass produce adequate amounts of artillery, rifles, and munitions which permitted the North the ability to fight a protracted, modern war. The South on the other hand lacked any major industrial facilities that could mass produce weapons. The majority of the nation's farms were in the North and the South mostly had tobacco farms that would not exactly keep a soldier alive.

Answer 3

There are different reasons but the main reason was industrial the sea embargo.
Thought the South had very good generals and brave soldiers there where outnumbered to the North.
AND the North had most of the industry and raw metals. I've just read a book about the Ironclads of the South and even the building of the Merrimack (or Virginia) took a long time because there was not enough metal at hands.
Since the South could not break the blockade of their ports, not enough weaponry could be imported. One by one the ports where taken and the situation became hopeless.
A possibility was a interventions by the UK and/or France that needed the cotton. The South has longtime hoped that this would happen but there was the morale issue of the slaves which made a intervention not very popular in Europe.

Answer 4

The South was indeed undermanned and outgunned by the Industrialised North. It would have taken an upset to win. Early on in the war, an upset was indeed possible as the North was surprised by the results at First Bull Run (Manassas). After the Union fail to press it's advantageous numbers in the Peninsular campaign, Lee decided to attempt a victory by getting Great Britain and/or France involved in the war by showing that the South could threaten the North. However, his being stopped at Antietam and Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation put a halt to that.

After that, it was simply a matter of time before the Union would ruin the Southern economy with its superior naval forces and its dividing of Confederate territory along the Mississippi and through Georgia. Only Southern tenacity keep the Confederacy from folding earlier than it did.

Answer 5

They didn't have the resources, money and were short in military personnel.

Of course, you know it wasn't a "civil" war. A civil war is when two warring sides are trying to take over the "whole". It was a war about seperation, the south wanted to cecede from the union and the north didn't want the nation split up.

Answer 6

The South could not win a war of attrition. The Union had huge advantages in manpower and greater resources as well. I read in The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara that the Confederate Units that made first contact with the Union forces at Gettysburg were in search of shoes that were rumored to be stockpiled there, so the Conferderates could not even keep their army in decent shoes.

Answer 7

The main reason was really that they had no industry to speak of, and the North had their ports blockaded, so they couldn't get in fresh supplies or get out their cotton and tobacco to help fund the war effort. Plus, they were outnumbered--there were more Northerners than Southerners, and the North could afford to hire soldiers from other countries if they wanted.

Answer 8

More Northern soldiers than Southern ones.

Answer 9

they hadn't the industrial power that the north had. Also there lines of supplies ( which came from oversee ) where cut by the blockade of north

Answer 10

Not enough resources in men and material to make the losses in battle. The war of attrition beat them, not that they came close thanks to their generalship of some of their armies.