Civil War: North vs. South

Population Disparity

• North had 2.5 times the population of the South.
• Despite this, victory was not straightforward due to:
  • Imbalances in potential manpower.

Military Population

• Confederate military population (free males aged 18-45) was much smaller.
• One-third of the Southern population were slaves, creating a dilemma:
  • South hesitated to arm slaves, hence they were not allowed to fight.

Strengths of the South

• Disciplined Militias: Well-trained with many skilled generals siding with the Confederacy, including Robert E. Lee.
• Cotton Economy:
  • Cotton was crucial to British and French economies, akin to oil in the 19th century.
  • Confederates believed cotton was their leverage and expected Britain to intervene.

Strategic Miscalculations

• Southern strategy to leverage cotton failed:
  • England refused involvement despite the South's expectations.

Geographic Advantage

• South fought mostly on home turf:
  • Soldiers familiar with the local terrain (woods, fields, streams).

Northern Military Expansion

• North started with 16,000 troops:
  • Expanded to over 2 million troops during the war.
  • South had approximately 800,000 troops.

Conclusion

• North's Superiority in supplying men and materiel proved decisive.
• Ultimately, these factors led to the North's victory over the South.