Union Strategy For Winning The Civil War?

Question

give me as many as u can

Answer 1

The North had a population of around 20,225,000 people while the South only had 5,500,000 white people, and another 3,654,000 black people. There is serious doubt that the slaves would have in fact taken up arms to help defend the practice of slavery. The population difference is what accounts for the staggering difference in industrial capacity. In the North there were 110,000 manufacturing establishments with about 1,300,000 people working in them. The South, on the other hand had only 11,000 manufacturing establishments and a considerably smaller 110,000 workers to staff them. The North therefore had more access to supplies and munitions than did the South. In addition to the easier access to their supplies, the South also had a disadvantage in the fact that they depended upon the North and on European countries for their clothing, as well as many other supplies. Not only did the North have better capabilities of making supplies, they also had the advantage of being able to transport them more efficiently. Of the 31,256 miles of railroad they controlled close to a hefty 70%. Not only could they transport their supplies more readily, but their men were also able to take advantage of the railway to travel much quicker. Largely due to the manufacturing abilities of the North, there was a large difference in economics between the two sides. The North had access to more banks, and were able to use their stronger economy to fund their war. On the other side the South used poor economic planning and ended up depending on Fiat money that eventually led to extremely high inflation.
When the South attempted to secede, it was only 11 states strong, the North on the other hand had 23 states behind it. Population directly relates to the economic and industrial strength of the North and South, but it also affected them in different ways. The North had a much larger population, as stated above. This gave them a distinct advantage in warfare as they had more of a pool of men to take from. One of the most decisive factors in the outcome of the war was the poorly disciplined South army, and the political and leadership strengths each side had. In spite of his lack of military experience Lincoln was able to lead the North by using an unprecedented approach to both the Presidency and commanding. For example, the Emancipation Proclamation was done in a fashion not seen before. Lincoln wanted to cripple the southern economy and did so with the Proclamation, this in spite of the fact that it was not something outlined in the constitution as being his right. In addition to affecting the economy, the Proclamation also caused the South to question if they were in fact actually fighting for liberty, and it also helped to make them feel more isolated about the issue of slavery itself. This ability to go outside the norm was not shared by Southern commanders, especially its President. On the opposing side there was a President who lacked the ability to admit fault and the ability to delegate duties. Having experience in the Military Davis felt he was well equipped to lead his army, when in fact he did so poorly. General Lee, commander of the Confederate Army has been argued to be a greater leader than Grant, that did not help him with his ill equipped army though. His army’s greatest downfall was their refusal to give up the liberties they felt owed in wartime. They were unable to take orders from a person based solely on rank, at the very least it had to be a man commanding them that they respected and liked. In addition they were prone to deserting, felt they should stay as long as they saw fit and they just generally disliked the discipline given to them by the army. Yet another reason for Northern success and the defeat of secession of the South was the issue of morality behind the South’s endeavor, and the desire of the North to keep the United States of America intact. The Southern states wanted their independence to pursue slavery as they saw fit, but to do so would cause the destruction of the United States of America, and many Southerners did not want such a thing to happen. Although the South predominately wanted slavery, there were some southerners who did not, which caused tension in the region. This could in fact be said for the North as well, since not all had a stake in abolition, and most probably didn’t really concern themselves with the issue. Therefore it’s a little harder to say that was a definite cause of defeat.
The last issue I will discuss at the root of the Southern defeat was the home territory they had to defeat. With the exception of one or two campaigns by the South, the Union did not have to preoccupy itself with the thought that their home territory was being invaded. The South, while maintaining “home field” advantage, had to witness the destruction of property and the intrusion of a group thought of as the enemy into their homes.

This isn't so much info on a strategy, but I thought it might come in handy.

Answer 2

The Anaconda Strategy- Seize the Ohio river, the Mississippi, drive from VA and go in up the Mississippi. three pronged attack. It would have worked in a month with decent generals too... And they played defense and used that for the entire war, only moving from it when the south went on the offensive.

At the end though, Sherman created what he called "total war" where he destroyed everything. Perhaps you heard of Sherman's bowties? he piled up the wood from the railroads on top of the rails, burned it, and twisted the hot rails into knots. it was simpler to build new rails then to fix that. There are still some around today....

They also had a lot of troops, but not all at once. their reserves were higher, but the actual number of people in uniform was about the same for most of the war. the big difference was that it took the entire south but only a portion of the north.

Answer 3

General Scott's "Anaconda Plan" was used throughout the war. It consisted of the naval blockade from Norfolk to New Orleans, as well as a drive to control the Mississippi River. It was not until July of 1863, and the fall of Vicksburg, that the Union was able to secure the Mississippi. By doing so, they had cut the Confederacy in half, and began to squeeze them for everything they were worth. Once the blockade was in place, the Confederacy was more or less shut off from the outside world and the provisions it needed to fight a war. While it is true that blockade runners did make it through the Union lines, only a small number of these ships carried items useful to fighting a war. The majority of the items were specialty goods for the dwindling number of wealthy citizens in the South.

With the blockade in full swing, General Sherman began his "scorched earth" policy. Basically, he marched through the South, from Tennessee to the Georgia coast, buring everything his army could not use. He believed anyone who claimed they were a Confederate was to be treated as a traitor. He did not believe in "the winning of hearts and minds." His "march to the sea," as it is usually known, broke the spirit of both the troops he faced, as well as the people who were in his way.

While the Union had success in the west, Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was giving the Army of the Potomac a run for its money. After humiliating several generals, Lincoln placed U.S. Grant in charge of the entire army. Grant's strategy was to fight a war of attrition. He threw everything the North had at the South, and eventual the Union's resources were to much for the Confederacy to handle.

Answer 4

Control the Mississppi, Naval Blockade, Free the slaves in the south, Sherman's total War strategy, overwhelm with superior numbers

Answer 5

Scott's Anaconda was surely a major part of the victory. So was the political maneuvering to keep France and England from giving recognition to the Confederacy.

The Emancipation Proclamation was the final stroke to insure that England would not recognize the CSA, because the politicians there would did not want to appear as pro-slavery.

Replacing McClellan was delayed almost too long, but was done in time to salvage the victory.

Answer 6

The Union had better manufacturing facilities and therefore better equipment. They also outnumbered the south. I doubt strategy had a whole lot to do with it.

It's all about how many KIDS you are willing to allow to be MURDERED for your profitable goals that determines if you win or lose.

Troop Surge: Only if you are willing to allow more innocent men and women to die to satisfy a goal that was ill-founded. ie, no WMD's and ZERO connection to 9/11.

Answer 7

Troop surge.