Question

Help Will Medal!

11. Describe the military strategy that General William T. Sherman used across Georgia and SouthCarolina. Explain how the strategy affected the South, as well as how Southerners reacted.
(3 points)

Answer 1

Sherman's strategy was an example of indirect approach and is probably why the Union won. Up until Sherman cut loose the Union's primary strategy was direct approach which resulted in huge loss of life and little progress towards victory. Sherman's action destroyed the confederacy's ability to move supplies or communicate. His strategy dislocated the confederacy and they were unable to effectively respond to the Union's actions during Sherman's advance. Primarily the Unions issue was that it relied too heavily on a new technology to enforce an old dictum of massing forces. This tied the Union to the rail roads and made them predictable. It also made them vulnerable because with the mass of force they developed they were susceptible to strikes against their supply/communication lines. Basically, the Union was more powerful and was playing it safe. The idea originally was consolidate the force, strike a direct blow, and crush the enemy to win the war. This is a strategy that through out history has led to failure of the often more powerful military. However, I think that it appeals to inexperienced leaders and generals egos because the dreams of such a victory are imagined to be not only fast, but glorious. However, this strategy in reality often allows a weaker army to use an indirect approach to check the more powerful army. Sherman recognized the folly of this approach and changes the make up of his army. Sherman moved away from his supplies and lives off of the land. To live off the hand he had to spread out his forces. He used four to six columns and his forging parties acted as a screen. Since he was not tied to a supply line, and his army was dispersed and moving in multiple columns, the confederate generals could not predict where Sherman would strike. Therefore they could not consolidate there forces or economically prepare defenses. Furthermore, since Sherman's action moved through the confederacy it impacted the families of the confederate solders. This split the confederate soldier's loyalties making them choose between fighting for the confederates or protecting their family. My answer is based on my interpretation of B.H. Liddell Hart's writing on the subject of strategy and indirect approach. Sherman's "horns of a dilemma" approach fits into Harts "indirect approach" strategy. In and of itself it seem like a simple and logical approach, but history proves such logic is too often ignored.

Answer 2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman's_March_to_the_Sea

Answer 3

That did not really help

Answer 4

Osgoood what need help with

Answer 5

How did the southerns react to General William T. Sherman strategy ( Total war is what he used)

Answer 6

@Osgood we can't just give you answers to questions like this that would be cheating tell us your thoughts on this and then we will go from there because we all know you can just copy and paste what we say and take credit for something you didn't write

Answer 7

:3