The American Civil war lasted four years and was fought between 1861 and 1865 and was primarily fueled by controversies regarding the enslavement of black people. The Union Army, mainly comprised of members of the army of the United States and fortified, and strengthened by temporary troops of stalwart volunteers as well as units drafted as conscripts into the service fought and triumphed over the Confederate States Army, thanks to great war strategies, tactics, and even manipulation of territorial resources. To help advance this discussion therefore, it is crucial to explore the military strategies of the Union Army, and how successful they were, as well as the envisioned outcomes of these strategies by the Union Army from 1861 to the end of 1862.
The first and most important military strategy deployed by the Union Army during the Civil War was blockading the Southern coasts. This strategy was referred to as the Anaconda Plan and was put in place to purge the likelihood of the Southerners (the Confederate Army) acquiring any form of help and recruitment from outside America. The Anaconda Plan, together with the Union Army’s successful efforts to gain control of the Mississippi River and Tennessee Valley were aimed at alienating the rebelling Confederates and cutting their link to the outside world (Stoker, 2010). This strategy was successfully executed by the Union Army since the onset of the Civil War (1861-1862) and by early 1864, the North had successfully blockaded the South, preventing them from sourcing any meaningful foreign assistance. War General Ulysses Grant also defeated the Confederates at Vicksburg, and delivered the Mississippi River to the Union Army (ushistory.org, 2019).
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Another war strategy successfully recruited by the Union Army from 1861 towards the end of 1862 was using the numerical of the Union Army troops (Northerners) to attack the rebelling Southerners (Confederates) on multiple war fronts. There were more states supporting the Union Army than there were those supporting the Confederates; therefore, the numerical pluralism. The North also boasted more immigrants compared to the South, and even recruited freed slaves into their army. Additionally, unlike the South, the North was open for foreign aids and combat support. Attacking the Confederate Army on multiple war fronts was meant to break their spirit (Phillips, 2013). Even though the Union Army los the most number of troops during the Civil War (reported to be more than two thirds), their numerical advantage still granted them victory over the Confederate Army. The latter were outnumbered and forced to surrender (Philips, 2013).
Advancing the discussion above, the Union Army also strove to capture Richmond, the Confederacy’s capital. This war strategy was staged to disrupt the Confederate Army’s command lines. Under the stewardship of General James Butler, the United States Army was able to bring Richmond to its control following a first and failed attempt, thanks fruitful series of subsequent attacks from the James River front. The Union Army used their newly acquired powers (having captured Richmond) to destroy the Confederate Army’s war resources; hence, making the rebels not only weak but also vulnerable (U.S.history.org, 2019).
Finally, the Union Army endeavored to capture and destroy Savannah, Atlanta, and South Carolina, the latter of which was considered as the heart of Southern succession during the initial stages of the Civil War. This combat strategy was complemented by the use of ‘scorched earth policy’ implemented by General Sherman and his troops. By using the scorched earth policy, General Sherman was not only able to destroy the Confederacy’s war resources but also obliterated their sources of food and shelter (Smith, 2012). In addition to fighting for slavery and protection of their territory, the Confederate Army found itself in the heart of several other problems that it also had to pay attention to in case they were to emerge victorious. However, that was not to be as many of their troops and sympathizers succumbed to hunger and diseases (Smith, 2012).
Conclusion
Whereas the Civil War lasted for several years, there was only going to be one winner, the Northerners. The Union Army’s victory over the Confederacy was not only aided by the numerical advantage it had over its rivals, but also due to well carved war strategies and tactics, and even the deployment of territorial resources extant within the rebels’ boundaries. They used physical features such as rivers (Mississippi and James River) and valleys (Tennessee Valley) to execute their attacks. Successful war plots used by the Union Army during the Civil War from 1861 towards the end of 1862 included The Anaconda plan, conquest of the Confederacy’s capital, and blockading of all Southern sea costs.
References
Phillips, C, (2013). Lincoln’s grasp of war. Hard War and the politics of neutrality and slavery in the Western Boarder States, 1861-1862. Journal of the Civil War Era, 3 (2), 184-210.
Smith, A.F. (2011). Did hunger defeat the Confederacy? North and South, 13 (1), 40-46.
Stoker, D. (2010). The grand design: Strategy and the U.S. Civil War. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
U.S.history.org. (2019). Northern plans to end the war. U.S. History Online Textbook. Accessed January 9, 2019 from http://www.ushistory.org/us/33h.asp
