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How did general sherman strategy of total war help the union defeat the confederacy?
Wiki User
β 12y ago
Sherman's strategy was an example of indirect approach and is probably why the Union won. Up until Sherman cut loose the Union's primary strategy was direct approach which resulted in huge loss of life and little progress towards victory. Sherman's action destroyed the confederacy's ability to move supplies or communicate. His strategy dislocated the confederacy and they were unable to effectively respond to the Union's actions during Sherman's advance. Primarily the Unions issue was that it relied too heavily on a new technology to enforce an old dictum of massing forces. This tied the Union to the rail roads and made them predictable. It also made them vulnerable because with the mass of force they developed they were susceptible to strikes against their supply/communication lines. Basically, the Union was more powerful and was playing it safe. The idea originally was consolidate the force, strike a direct blow, and crush the enemy to win the war. This is a strategy that through out history has led to failure of the often more powerful military. However, I think that it appeals to inexperienced leaders and generals egos because the dreams of such a victory are imagined to be not only fast, but glorious. However, this strategy in reality often allows a weaker army to use an indirect approach to check the more powerful army. Sherman recognized the folly of this approach and changes the make up of his army. Sherman moved away from his supplies and lives off of the land. To live off the hand he had to spread out his forces. He used four to six columns and his forging parties acted as a screen. Since he was not tied to a supply line, and his army was dispersed and moving in multiple columns, the confederate generals could not predict where Sherman would strike. Therefore they could not consolidate there forces or economically prepare defenses. Furthermore, since Sherman's action moved through the confederacy it impacted the families of the confederate solders. This split the confederate soldier's loyalties making them choose between fighting for the confederates or protecting their family. My answer is based on my interpretation of B.H. Liddell Hart's writing on the subject of strategy and indirect approach. Sherman's "horns of a dilemma" approach fits into Harts "indirect approach" strategy. In and of itself it seem like a simple and logical approach, but history proves such logic is too often ignored.
Wiki User
β 14y ago
Wiki User
β 9y agoDuring the American Civil War, Union general William T. Sherman conducted "total war" to contribute to the South's defeat after the Union capture of Atlanta, Georgia. In the celebrated March to the Sea that followed, Sherman led his troops through Georgia and portions of South Carolina, cutting a swathe of destruction that has since been seen as both famous and infamous by various observers.
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β 12y agoHe bring the northern in the a middle of the border and sourded them
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β 12y agoGeorgia and South Carolina
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What was Ulysses S Grant's role in the civil war?
He commanded the Union troops in Tennessee and Mississippi, culminating in the capture of Vicksburg, which ended the war in the West. Together with his rescuing the Army of the Cumberland from starvation at Chattanooga, this gained him enough credibility to be promoted General-in-Chief of the US Armies, over the head of his commander, Henry Halleck. He then divided responsibilities between himself and Sherman - Grant to defeat Lee, Sherman to defeat Joe Johnston. At enormous cost, Grant's objective was achieved, while Sherman masterminded an almost bloodless campaign in Georgia that shortened the war by months.
What offers the best reasoning behind William Tecumseh shermans strategy of using total war to defeat the south?
Sherman's March to the Sea shortened the war by at least six months, at almost nil casualties.
What was the two-front allied strategy used to defeat Hitler?
"Europe First" strategy
Why were so few battles during the civil war not fought on northern soil?
So few battles were fought on the northern soil because of the defensive strategy carried on by the Confederacy. Furthermore the main objective of the Federal Government were the restoring of the Union and that meant that the Northerners had to defeat and erase the Confederacy, thus compelling them to invade and conquest the Rebel's territory.
How did bull run get is name?
Bull Run, the first major battle of the Civil War, was fought on July 21, 1861. There was a general desire of the Union Army to advance south to Richmond and engage the Confederacy in battle. The Union underestimated the south by believing that they would crumble after their first defeat. The inexperienced Union troops found the battlefield too much, and the Southern army took the time to establish lines and consolidate positions. General Sherman had found an unguarded ford at Bull Run, which he crossed and engaged the Confederacy in battle. The Confederates refused to retreat. Later in the afternoon, the Confederacy captured some Union artillery. The Union army retreated in disarray.
First general of union army during civil war?
Winfield Scott served a s Commanding General at the start of the war. It was his Anaconda Plan which served as the grand strategy to defeat the Confederacy.
Who was the general of the confederacy in the Battle of Stone's River?
General Braxton Bragg. Bragg, as usual, managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
What did the north call its strategy to defeat the south by forming a naval blockade and by capturing the Mississippi river?
The Anaconda Plan - constricting the life out of the Confederacy
What was the goal of the anaconda plan?
To gain control of the Mississippi River and defeat the Confederacy
What three part strategy did Lincoln use to win the war?
Lincoln used a three-part strategy known as the Anaconda Plan to defeat the Confederate States. His plan was to blockade Southern ports, seize control of the Mississippi River to divide the Confederacy in half, and to surround and attack the Confederacy on all sides.
Would military theorists have predicted that General Sherman's methods of warfare would defeat the Confederacy?
Historians familiar with the leading military theorists of the early 19th century believe that Union General Sherman's style of a scourged earth warfare would not convince theorists such as Carl Von Clausewitz or Henri Jomini that this could defeat the South. For them the South encompassed an area too large for the Union to conquer with the forces the Union made available, especially when opposed by a strong national resistance. It should be noted that these are opinions of certain, not all US Civil War historians.
What happened when the South failed to capitalize on its victory at the Battle of Chickamuga?
The failure of the Confederacy to capitalize on its victory at the Battle of Chickamuga, basically helped its defeat at Chattanooga and had allowed an invasion route to be opened into Georgia with Chattanooga as a base for Union operations. Union General Sherman took advantage of this and his Atlanta campaign began.
What was the name given to General Winfield Scott's plan to defeat the Confederacy by blockading southern ports and controlling the Mississippi River?
The Anaconda plan
What was Ulysses S Grant's role in the civil war?
He commanded the Union troops in Tennessee and Mississippi, culminating in the capture of Vicksburg, which ended the war in the West. Together with his rescuing the Army of the Cumberland from starvation at Chattanooga, this gained him enough credibility to be promoted General-in-Chief of the US Armies, over the head of his commander, Henry Halleck. He then divided responsibilities between himself and Sherman - Grant to defeat Lee, Sherman to defeat Joe Johnston. At enormous cost, Grant's objective was achieved, while Sherman masterminded an almost bloodless campaign in Georgia that shortened the war by months.
Why did many people doubt anaconda plan?
They thought it would take to long to defeat the Confederacy.
Who took command of the union forces and the north to there defeat of the south?
President Abraham Lincoln, as Commander-in-Chief, was in command of the Union forces in the US Civil War. He had a number of Generals under him, ultimately Ulysses S. Grant was the General who managed the defeat of Southern forces under General Lee, and thus, eventually the defeat of the Confederacy.
How did Major General William T. Sherman justify his failed assault on Kennesaw Mountain?
The failed Union assault on the Confederate entrenched forces of Kennesaw Mountain was one of Union General William T. Sherman's losses in his Atlanta campaign of 1864. In June of 1864, Sherman ignored the warnings of some of his commanders regarding a planned assault on this Rebel stronghold. Rebel troops under General Johnston were well prepared for any Union attempts to remove them from their mountain positions. Sherman later provided one of the worst explanations or better said "excuses" for his bad judgment that cost many Union lives. Sherman explained his actions at Kennesaw by stating that the defeat was not without virtue. It demonstrated to General Joseph Johnston that he ( Sherman) would attack boldly when deemed necessary. This was one of the worst excuses for defeat i the US Civil War.
