What were the strengths and weaknesses of both the North and South before and during the civil war?

Answer 1

Weaknesses of the South:
- no diplomatic recognition of the C.S.A.
- the instituition of slavery
- a President who micro-managed the war, and distrusted his capabale generals (Beauregard and Johnston)
- a small navy
- no overall strategy to win the war
- economic stagnation

Strengths of the North:
- diplomatic reconition by other countries
- (after the emancipation proclamation) abolition
- a President who trusted his capable generals when he found them (Grant and Sherman)
- a larger navy (capable of fire support/blockade duties)
- an overall strategy to win the war
- (after 1861) an economic boom

Answer 2

The North had a male population that outnumber that of the South 3:1. The South also had a much lower number of immigrants, which led to a subsquently lower number of recruits. To make up for numbers the South did have a higher morale, though soldiers on both sides felt they fought for a worthy cause. Also, Rebels fought on their own soul, since they were most often in the defensive position. The South is sometimes said to have enjoyed better leadership, yet it instead appears that the North had better officers in the Western Theature, while the South was much stronger in the Eastern Theature. The North had a greater industrial capacity and thus could better outfit and feed its men. There were far fewer urban areas in the South and those that did exist were quite small in comparison to similar facilities in the North. Also, it was not (sucessfully) invaded, thus the civilian population was not greatly affected by the presence of an army. As the war drew on, the end of the system of slavery also came to benefit the North, as ex-slaves joined the cause and left the South more vulnerable without a major source of wartime labor. The North also enjoyed a more adept administrative leader in Abraham Lincoln. Davis was not a poor choice, but he was icy and out of touch as a politician unlike Pres. Lincoln. During the war the Union blockade and the havoc wreaked upon the landscape and methods of transport would lead to great shortages for the CSA armies. The North would not suffer far as greatly in terms of loses after the war, in property or the percentage of the male population killed or maimed, yet both sides suffered greatly with over 600,000 Americans killed during the war's course.

Answer 3

The North had a much larger population and a strong industrial base. The South was much more unified and ready to mobilize. If the South had won Gettysburg the war would have been over, because the road to Washington was undefended. Once the war stretched out for a few years victory for the North was inevitable. The South also had better millitary leadership. Idiot generals in the North is probably why the war lasted as long a it did.

Answer 4

North

Advantages: more factories, more population, more resources, more money

Disadvantages: the north were the aggressors throughout much of the war (attackers have the disadvantage), there was much split opinion in the north of whether the war should be fought and how it should be fought

South:
Advantages: more good generals, home field advantage; most southerners were on board for the reason behind the war

Disadvantages: with cotton being their only real cash crop there income overseas was market dependant (the couldn't depend on a constant flow of $)

Answer 5

the north had idustriliazation (sp) and higher population. the south had farm lands (too provide their food), ambition too win, and they knew the land better than the yankees because most of the battles occured in the south.