There is plentiful discourse as to why the Northern Union won the Civil War in 1865 against the Southern Confederacy. Although the military leadership from Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant in the North and Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee in the South both impacted the outcome, Jefferson Davis’s poor political leadership both as president and commander in chief led to the Northern victory, particularly his defective judgements regarding military affairs and his moderate leadership as president that yielded tenuous relations with the Confederate people. According to David M. Potter, Jefferson Davis was not fit to command the Confederate Army. He was “his own secretary of war and his own general in chief” in which he included departmentalization
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As president, Lincoln respected the division between commander in chief and field commander. He considered military policy objectively left particulars to the field generals. As president, Davis did not give General Robert E. Lee any significant command that generals under Lincoln enjoyed. Davis’s controlling tendencies made it difficult for him to work with other Confederate leaders and when “Congress adopted a bill establishing the office of general in chief, intended for Lee, Davis vetoed it” because it challenged his own authority.(Donald 103) Lincoln brought in people who despised him into his cabinet because he objectively seeked victory and not approval, dominance, or sympathy. Davis was conservative and seldom admitted he was wrong which is why he refused to cooperate with other Confederate generals whereas a good president carries communication capabilities, ambition, drive, and humility If Davis carried the same desire for victory that Lincoln had, his military control would not significantly affect his presidential reputation because that energy and ambition would be instilled into the army generals he …show more content…
Harry Williams, it was the influence of the Jominian tactics of concentration, strategy, and motivation that led to the Union’s victory. Jomini was a Swiss general whose military ideals were greatly studied by American Civil War generals at military academies. Union generals applied these tactics to their warfare which led to their ultimate victory whilst the Confederate generals ended up primarily applying the tactic of offense from Jomini’s ideals to their warfare which is why the Union was never defeated, only stifled only to attack again with more zeal. The South’s poverty of resources forced “Southern generals to think in aggressive terms” because they had to act with what was provided around them.(Donald 50) While this is all relevant, it is not that Union generals developed Jominian ideals more suitable for winning the war. Robert E. Lee also incorporated Jominian tactics into his leadership, however, it is Jefferson Davis that suppressed this. Most generals both in the North and the South were Jominian- based, but Davis was much too controlling and limited the generals’ capabilities with his own dominance over the war office and view of the essence of Confederate military advancements towards the Union. Confederates were likely more Jominian than the Union soldiers in that they emphasized offense, force, interior lines, and unified command in their campaigns, particularly in Virginia. Lee embodied traditional Jominian warfare. However, due
As president, Lincoln respected the division between commander in chief and field commander. He considered military policy objectively left particulars to the field generals. As president, Davis did not give General Robert E. Lee any significant command that generals under Lincoln enjoyed. Davis’s controlling tendencies made it difficult for him to work with other Confederate leaders and when “Congress adopted a bill establishing the office of general in chief, intended for Lee, Davis vetoed it” because it challenged his own authority.(Donald 103) Lincoln brought in people who despised him into his cabinet because he objectively seeked victory and not approval, dominance, or sympathy. Davis was conservative and seldom admitted he was wrong which is why he refused to cooperate with other Confederate generals whereas a good president carries communication capabilities, ambition, drive, and humility If Davis carried the same desire for victory that Lincoln had, his military control would not significantly affect his presidential reputation because that energy and ambition would be instilled into the army generals he …show more content…
Harry Williams, it was the influence of the Jominian tactics of concentration, strategy, and motivation that led to the Union’s victory. Jomini was a Swiss general whose military ideals were greatly studied by American Civil War generals at military academies. Union generals applied these tactics to their warfare which led to their ultimate victory whilst the Confederate generals ended up primarily applying the tactic of offense from Jomini’s ideals to their warfare which is why the Union was never defeated, only stifled only to attack again with more zeal. The South’s poverty of resources forced “Southern generals to think in aggressive terms” because they had to act with what was provided around them.(Donald 50) While this is all relevant, it is not that Union generals developed Jominian ideals more suitable for winning the war. Robert E. Lee also incorporated Jominian tactics into his leadership, however, it is Jefferson Davis that suppressed this. Most generals both in the North and the South were Jominian- based, but Davis was much too controlling and limited the generals’ capabilities with his own dominance over the war office and view of the essence of Confederate military advancements towards the Union. Confederates were likely more Jominian than the Union soldiers in that they emphasized offense, force, interior lines, and unified command in their campaigns, particularly in Virginia. Lee embodied traditional Jominian warfare. However, due