The North Won. This Wasn’t Inevitable.

Joseph Wheelan is the author of eight books, including the highly-acclaimed “Terrible Swift Sword” and “Jefferson's War.” Before turning to writing books full time, Wheelan was a reporter and editor for The Associated Press for twenty-four years, where he also wrote about the Korean War. His latest book is “Their Last Full Measure: The Final Days of the Civil War” (2015).

From a distance of 150 years, the Union victory in the Civil War may appear to have been inevitable, and the South’s attempt to achieve sovereignty doomed from the start. This story line has much to recommend it. The North enjoyed tremendous advantages at the war’s outset: in industrial capacity, in shipping and transportation, and, manifestly, in manpower — its free population was three times larger than the South’s. As the war progressed, the gap between Northern and Southern capacities only grew. Nonetheless, the narrative of a foreordained Union victory is misleading. Until just seven months before Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House, the issue was very much in doubt. The Confederacy’s hopes of achieving sovereign nationhood remained alive until September 1864


- See more at: http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/159304#sthash.lB8u2mC6.dpuf

Nemesis wrote:Joseph Wheelan is the author of eight books, including the highly-acclaimed “Terrible Swift Sword” and “Jefferson's War.” Before turning to writing books full time, Wheelan was a reporter and editor for The Associated Press for twenty-four years, where he also wrote about the Korean War. His latest book is “Their Last Full Measure: The Final Days of the Civil War” (2015).

From a distance of 150 years, the Union victory in the Civil War may appear to have been inevitable, and the South’s attempt to achieve sovereignty doomed from the start. This story line has much to recommend it. The North enjoyed tremendous advantages at the war’s outset: in industrial capacity, in shipping and transportation, and, manifestly, in manpower — its free population was three times larger than the South’s. As the war progressed, the gap between Northern and Southern capacities only grew. Nonetheless, the narrative of a foreordained Union victory is misleading. Until just seven months before Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House, the issue was very much in doubt. The Confederacy’s hopes of achieving sovereign nationhood remained alive until September 1864


- See more at: http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/159304#sthash.lB8u2mC6.dpuf

As far as industrial capacity is concerned, don't forget that the South had Britain backing it. True, the South had no arms industry to speak of, but it was receiving munitions and canon from Britain of the highest quality.

Weelan's books are excellent. But, just as you can't read British history without first looking at G. M. Trevelyan, you should look at Bruce Catton to provide a background for the US Civil War. In particular, look at his trilogy: Mr. Lincoln's Army (New York: Doubleday and Company, 1951); Glory Road (New York: Doubleday and Company, 1952); and A Stillness at Appomattox (New York: Doubleday and Company, 1953).

Insofar as the US Civil was pivotal in the development of modern war technology and tactics (particularly for understanding defensive vs. Napoleonic, offensive warfare), Mr. Catton's analyses are still used in war colleges around the world. http://www.americanheritage.com/content/working-bruce-catton