What strategies and tactics developed on Civil War battlefields that were different than those of prior conflicts?
The Civil War refers to the time of great political, economic and social turmoil. Similarly, this period refers to the time of high technological change. There are various strategies and tactics developed by the military men and investors in the Civil War battlefields which were ultimately distinct from those of the prior conflicts 1 . For instance, the states tapped economic, political, and diplomatic resources and capabilities of their enemies. This strategy was used to weaken the enemy in the battlefield. Other tactics applied in the Civil War battlefield which was not employed in the prior conflicts include implementation of blockades, attrition, exhaustion as well as the application of simultaneous pressure at many points 2 .
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And what technologies developed before and during the war that changed the course of the war?
Technological innovation had a significant impact on the Civil War and changed the way people fought the civil war. Before the civil war, infantry soldiers literary carried muskets with only one bullet at a given point in time. The range of such weapons was merely about 250 yards. Similarly, the effective range of such muskets was low to about 80 yards 3 . Typically shooting with any accuracy would, therefore, requires the soldiers to move closer to their targets. In other words, armies were expected to fight the battles at relatively close range. The emergence of rifles with much greater range than muskets changed the course of the war. The rifles had high accuracy with the potential of shooting up to a bullet up to 1,000 yards 4 . Typically the fighting range changed with the emergence of the rifles as opposed to the use of muskets.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cunningham, David E. "Blocking resolution: How external states can prolong civil wars." Journal of Peace Research 47, no. 2 (2010): 115-127.
Licklider, Roy. Stopping the killing: How civil wars end. NYU Press, 1993.
Mason, T. David, and Patrick J. Fett. "How civil wars end a rational choice approach." Journal of Conflict Resolution 40, no. 4 (1996): 546-568.
Walter, Barbara F. Committing to peace: The successful settlement of civil wars. Princeton University Press, 2002.
1 Cunningham, David E. "Blocking resolution: How external states can prolong civil wars." Journal of Peace Research 47, no. 2 (2010): 115-127.
2 Licklider, Roy. Stopping the killing: How civil wars end. NYU Press, 1993.
3 Mason, T. David, and Patrick J. Fett. "How civil wars end a rational choice approach." Journal of Conflict Resolution 40, no. 4 (1996): 546-568.
4 Walter, Barbara F. Committing to peace: The successful settlement of civil wars. Princeton University Press, 2002.