War Tactics of the Union and Confederacy
Union “Anaconda Plan”
1. Blockade all Southern ports to stop trading between Britain and South. This hurt the South’s economy, weakening their chance in winning the war.
2. Take control of the Mississippi River to defeat the West. The West depended on the river for supplies and goods.
3. Capture Richmond, the southern capital and take control.
Union “Total War”
When Step 3 of the Anaconda Plan seemed unlikely, a new plan was created. Total War meant they would destroy the South’s resources. The resources included: the southern economy, rail lines, plantations, freeing slaves, and burning cities.
1. Stop trade between the Suth and Britain
2. Rail lines were used to ransport goods to Union troops
3. The North would wait out the South because of the unlimited number of troops
4. Emancipation Proclamation: Freed all slaves ONLY in the Confederacy. This angered the South and caused plantations to fail. The freed slaves flocked from enemy lines and fought against the people that once held them un-righteously.
South Defensive Plan
For the South, who felt they had a better army with better leaders their strategy was to bring about an initial decisive battle to destroy the Army of the Potomac. Lee tried this twice at Antietam and Gettysburg, but failed.
This was a defensive strategy designed to resist Union population advantages and to hold out long enough to bring in foreign facilitation. The South wanted to wear down the Union's morale through prolongation of a bloody war.
http://www.civilwarhome.com/tacticscivilwar.htm
Union “Anaconda Plan”
1. Blockade all Southern ports to stop trading between Britain and South. This hurt the South’s economy, weakening their chance in winning the war.
2. Take control of the Mississippi River to defeat the West. The West depended on the river for supplies and goods.
3. Capture Richmond, the southern capital and take control.
Union “Total War”
When Step 3 of the Anaconda Plan seemed unlikely, a new plan was created. Total War meant they would destroy the South’s resources. The resources included: the southern economy, rail lines, plantations, freeing slaves, and burning cities.
1. Stop trade between the Suth and Britain
2. Rail lines were used to ransport goods to Union troops
3. The North would wait out the South because of the unlimited number of troops
4. Emancipation Proclamation: Freed all slaves ONLY in the Confederacy. This angered the South and caused plantations to fail. The freed slaves flocked from enemy lines and fought against the people that once held them un-righteously.
South Defensive Plan
For the South, who felt they had a better army with better leaders their strategy was to bring about an initial decisive battle to destroy the Army of the Potomac. Lee tried this twice at Antietam and Gettysburg, but failed.
This was a defensive strategy designed to resist Union population advantages and to hold out long enough to bring in foreign facilitation. The South wanted to wear down the Union's morale through prolongation of a bloody war.
http://www.civilwarhome.com/tacticscivilwar.htm