A Nation Torn Apart: The Civil War, 1861-1865

Chapter 13

Mobilization, Strategy, and Diplomacy Chapter 13.1

Northern v Southern Advantages

North • Larger population

• Far more industrialized – particularly in production of materials necessary for war.

• Modern, integrated, and larger railroad system.

• Felt they were upholding the Constitution and the Union in their cause.

South • Superior military leadership

• Geographic advantage (north had to invade and occupy the entire south)

• Southerners were fighting a war for independence.

• White southerners were unified and fighting a defensive war.

Mobilization in the North v the South North • Lincoln called up 75,000

volunteers after the firing on Fort Sumter.

• Lincoln instituted a blockade of the southern coastline.

• Lincoln’s troops and officers were largely young and inexperienced in battle.

South • Confederate states reorganized and expanded their

state militias

• Confederate leaders had to create a military from scratch – it called up 100,000 volunteers.

• Confederate leaders had no naval power to confront the blockade so they used privateers

• With no industrial capacity, the Confederacy had a difficult task in outfitting and equipping their soldiers.

• The Confederate government struggled to raise funds for its military and its currency was plagued by inflation.

• Since many southerners adhered to the philosophy of states rights, the Confederate government struggled to win support.

The Border States • The border states (Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware) were key

strategic territories that both sides hoped to draw to their side of the conflict. • Key river systems (Mississippi, Kentucky, and Ohio) flowed through as well as key railroad

lines.

• If Maryland joined the Confederacy, Washington D.C. would fall into Confederate controlled territory.

• For the south, the border states contained nearly half of the white male population of the south and its key industrial centers.

• The Union managed to hold all four border states • Delaware and Kentucky were fairly easy for Lincoln to hold as Federal troops arrived in

those states.

• As mob violence erupted, Lincoln declared martial law and suspended habeas corpus in Maryland. Missouri descended into “Bleeding Kansas” violence as groups on each side fought for control of the state. Ultimately, Pro-Union Missourians and Union troops were able to take hold of Missouri.

Wartime Diplomacy

• Jefferson Davis wanted to gain diplomatic recognition from France and Britain for the Confederacy and perhaps a military alliance.

• In 1861, The Confederacy established a cotton embargo to try and pressure the French and British into joining their side of the fight called “Cotton Diplomacy”

• Lincoln sent his own emissaries to Britain and France as well. Both Britain and France declared their neutrality and promised to honor the Union blockade.

Questions:

• What significant advantages did the North hold over the South on the eve of war?

• How did the doctrine of states’ rights hinder the Southern war effort?

• What advantages allowed the Confederacy to enjoy military success in the early years of the war?

• Why did both North and South consider the Border States vital?