Question 1
Evaluate the interpretations in both of the two passages and explain which you think is more
convincing as an explanation of the conduct and outcome of the American Civil War.
Passage A
Despite structural change brought about by the mass production methods of the industrial revolution, the importance of the personal factor in the conduct and outcome of war was, if anything, enhanced by the increase in the scale of warfare. The enlarged span of command demanded not only a greater intelligence gathering capacity but more precise, clear orders and a tighter intellectual grip by the commander on the actual conduct of operations. Grant, Sherman and Lee were not courageous showmen, but by their unobtrusive presence dominated their operations effectively. The more spread out the operations, the more ‘the fog of war’ billows up. Yet consistently the role of cavalry as intelligence gatherers was neglected resulting in a significant increase in the number of engagements caused by the unexpected meeting of rival forces. This, in turn, made great demands on the flexibility of commanders.
Adapted from: B. Holden Read, The American Civil War, published in 1999.
Passage B
In the winter of 1864 and spring of 1865, desertion nearly destroyed the Confederate army. On New Year’s Day 1865, more than half of Confederate soldiers were absent without leave. The most potent reason for desertion was the condition of soldiers’ families; letters from home were often pleas for a husband’s desertion. Sometimes it was a plea for husbands and sons to return to protect wives and mothers from the Yankees or to help them recover from Yankee devastation. Sometimes families untouched by devastation required their men’s return because of the high price of food. Certainly Sherman’s campaign encouraged men to fear for their families. With no Confederate infantry to oppose it, the ‘March to the Sea’ was a pleasure walk. Destroying railroads and raiding food and other supplies, it went, in Sherman’s words, ‘smashing things generally’. Sherman did $100 million worth of damage to the state of Georgia. Grant ordered other raids as well. Sheridan’s final raid in March 1865 broke the supply line of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Lee rejected the proposal of some junior officers that the army be disbanded to conduct a guerrilla war and surrendered.
Adapted from: R. Mitchell, The American Civil War (Longman Seminar Studies) published in 2001.
[30]
Answer
