Civil War Strategy of the North and South (Comparison) (apr 12, 1861 – may 9, 1865)

Description:

North:
1. Fully blockade all Southern coasts. This strategy, known as the ANACONDA PLAN, would eliminate the possibility of Confederate help from abroad.

2. Control the Mississippi River. The river was the South's major inland waterway. Also, Northern control of the rivers would separate Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas from the other Confederate states.

3. Capture RICHMOND. Without its capital, the Confederacy's command lines would be disrupted.

4. Shatter Southern civilian morale by capturing and destroying ATLANTA, SAVANNAH, and the heart of Southern secession, South Carolina.

5. Use the numerical advantage of Northern troops to engage the enemy everywhere to break the spirits of the Confederate Army.

South:

Military:
1. The confederacy entered the war with the advantage of having to fight only a defensive war to win, while the Union had to conquer an area as large as Western Europe.

2. The Confederates had to move troops and supplies shorter distances than the Union

3. It had a long, indented coastline that was difficult to blockade and most important, experienced military leaders and high troop morale.

Economic:
1. Confederates hoped that European demand for its cotton would bring recognition and financial aid.

2. Like other rebel movements in history, the Confederates counted on outside help to be successful.

Political:
1. The Confederates were struggling for independence

2. The irony was that in order to win the war, the Confederates needed a strong central government with strong public support. The Confederates had neither.

3. The ultimate hope of the Confederates was that the people of the Union would turn against Lincoln and the Republicans and quit the war because it was too costly.

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