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Five Reasons the Civil War is the First Total War. Confederacy or Union. 1. Total Victory. First war in which nether side would settle for anything but Total Victory South was fighting for nothing less then total secession North was fighting for nothing less then to keep the Union together
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1. Total Victory • First war in which nether side would settle for anything but Total Victory • South was fighting for nothing less then total secession • North was fighting for nothing less then to keep the Union together • No compromises would be made
2. All Man Power, Money, Material Resources, and Minds • First War in which everything went towards the war effort • Men • Money • Material Resources • Minds of the People
Men • Some 600,000 men died during the war • Most American’s lost in a war in US history • Both sides draft men into the war • South drafted boys between 18-35 • North drafted boys between 20-45 • Could pay someone to take your place • $300 • Billy Yank and Johnny Reb • Army of the Virginia = South • Army of the Potomac = North
Billy Yank Johnny Reb
Material Resources • North won in this area • North had wealth of coal and iron and the ability to produce arms • North had railroads to get troops and supplies to the battle front • North had a navy • Southern states keep their resources to themselves for their own boys
Money • Both sides go into debt to fight the war • How to come up with the cash
Minds of the People • Vast majority supported their war efforts • Propaganda was used on both sides • Lincoln called cartoonist Thomas Nast "our best recruiting sergeant • Without the commitment of the people the war could not have been fought • Lincoln suspends habeas corpus to deal with dissention • Remember only Congress has this power!
Civilian leaders • First War in which civilian leaders played a key role in not only national policy during the war but also military policy as well • Northern Leader = Abraham Lincoln • Southern Leader = Jefferson Davis • Lincoln choose able cabinet leaders and had a good relationship • Davis choose poor cabinet leaders and could not get along with them
Lincoln Davis
Grand Strategy • First War that had a grand strategy for fighting the war from the moment the war began
Total Destruction • First War that used tactics of Total Destruction to fight the war • Destroy anything and everything your enemy could use • Examples • Sherman’s March to the Sea • Grant’s siege of Vicksburg
Geography Plays a Role • The Appalachian Mountains • Divided the war into two fronts • Eastern and Western Theatre • Rivers • If the North could control the rivers they could penetrate the South • Mississippi River • Tennessee River • Cumberland River • Shenandoah Valley • For the South • Leads into the North • Feeds the Southern Army • The Southern Coastline • Union would have to blockade the coast • Would also be a navy conflict • Merrimac (South) vs Monitor (Union) • First battle of the Ironclads