Why the Confederacy Lost the Civil War
Was the Civil War about slavery? That is an ongoing debate, probably begun during the Civil War, that continues to the present day. No matter what your opinion is on the cause of the war, one certain thing is that the South lost the Civil war because of slavery.
To win the war, the South had only to survive. Survival required two things, a defensive war and an alliance. The defensive war was to inflict such large casualties on the North that they would be forced to end the war. The South needed an alliance to gain access to European markets and foreign military might.
Those in the South wanting secession and war made two critical misjudgments. The Confederate States of America (CSA) did not properly appreciate the vigor with which Lincoln would fight to keep the Union intact. Its second critical mistake was its failure to grasp the prevailing mindset of the world of 1860.
The Age of Enlightenment of the 1700’s centered on the idea of freedom, democracy, and reason being the primary values of a society. Revolutions of the late 1700’s, such as the American and French that rocked the Western world were based on liberty and equality. In the 1800s, the ideas of The Enlightenment had spread and were widely accepted throughout Europe and the Americas.
The two most important battles of the American Revolution were at Saratoga and Yorktown. The Battle of Saratoga proved to the rest of the world that America could win the war. That victory led to an alliance with France. At Yorktown, the French navy prevented a British evacuation. Cornwallis surrendered, and American secured its independence.
The South felt sure they would be able to enter into a needed alliance with a European power. However, Lincoln’s issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation in late 1862 derailed those efforts since it effectively framed the Civil War as a war about slavery. European governments could not militarily ally themselves with a country that allowed the despicable institution of slavery with in its borders. Politically, it was too risky for them to do so.
Without the aid of a European alliance or navy, the Confederacy was never able to break the Union blockade of Southern ports allowing the Southern economy to survive long enough to achieve the military’s goals. The blockade continued to strangle the South. The Confederacy went broke, was not able to meet its army’s needs, and finally succumbed to the Union Armies.
Without slavery, the Confederacy may have persevered and achieved its goal. But they didn’t, the cause was lost, and the South had to endure the consequences.
To win the war, the South had only to survive. Survival required two things, a defensive war and an alliance. The defensive war was to inflict such large casualties on the North that they would be forced to end the war. The South needed an alliance to gain access to European markets and foreign military might.
Those in the South wanting secession and war made two critical misjudgments. The Confederate States of America (CSA) did not properly appreciate the vigor with which Lincoln would fight to keep the Union intact. Its second critical mistake was its failure to grasp the prevailing mindset of the world of 1860.
The Age of Enlightenment of the 1700’s centered on the idea of freedom, democracy, and reason being the primary values of a society. Revolutions of the late 1700’s, such as the American and French that rocked the Western world were based on liberty and equality. In the 1800s, the ideas of The Enlightenment had spread and were widely accepted throughout Europe and the Americas.
The two most important battles of the American Revolution were at Saratoga and Yorktown. The Battle of Saratoga proved to the rest of the world that America could win the war. That victory led to an alliance with France. At Yorktown, the French navy prevented a British evacuation. Cornwallis surrendered, and American secured its independence.
The South felt sure they would be able to enter into a needed alliance with a European power. However, Lincoln’s issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation in late 1862 derailed those efforts since it effectively framed the Civil War as a war about slavery. European governments could not militarily ally themselves with a country that allowed the despicable institution of slavery with in its borders. Politically, it was too risky for them to do so.
Without the aid of a European alliance or navy, the Confederacy was never able to break the Union blockade of Southern ports allowing the Southern economy to survive long enough to achieve the military’s goals. The blockade continued to strangle the South. The Confederacy went broke, was not able to meet its army’s needs, and finally succumbed to the Union Armies.
Without slavery, the Confederacy may have persevered and achieved its goal. But they didn’t, the cause was lost, and the South had to endure the consequences.
posted by Jack McLeod at 6:05 PM
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