On The West The Battlefield In The American Civil War

The American Civil War happening in the 1860s lasted for 5 years, revealed the prelude of modern war. The war was at first to maintain the slave system by south slave-owner social class to attempt to be separated from the federation, the Lincoln government put down a rebellion for defending an unification dispatching,therefore longitudinal looked, the fight most all occured within the boundaries of south various states.Judging from transverse direction, by this natural boundary line , war may be divided for the east and west because of Appalachia mountain chain two battlefields.Since bilateral capital all in eastern part, eastern battlefield has then become US domestic and the international attention focal point,postwar also mostly centers on eastern battlefield to the American civil war history research to launch.Comparative, western part battlefield's position and the effect to civil war result didn't arouse sufficient taking seriously , this also is the main body of a book writing turning point. This article will place attention above the western battlefield , will strive to discuss the western battlefield all-round , objective in Civil War.Firstly , judging from region aspect, the eastern battlefield is a littoral plain long and narrow , is not enough to satisfy this "the first time of steam times big battle " judging from resource and products aspect. Since the two belligerent parties capital is all located in here,so it become political and economy centre area , north and south both sides and the whole world attention are attracted also all here. The western battlefield is vast USA central section, the forest river network covers densely, scatteredly being distributing hills and fields on a hill, both various resource and products rich , be main USA south source of income area extremely. Grain , cotton , wood , fruit, products such as petroleum , gas and feasible resource, western battlefield are destined to will become the battlefield deciding war result host ultimately. Modern large-scale war all testifies various occasions in the past, winning resource is the key to win war.Secondly , the generals who win ultimate victory of civil war mostly comes from western battlefield, for example, Grant, Sherman , Farragut, Thomas , Butler, Sheridan, all have intense relationship to the western battlefield. The eastern battlefield generals such as McDowell , McClaren , Burnside, Hooke, when they faced south army famous general Robert·Lee, not only has no way to get victory, but also bring unknown politics crisis to the north because of their failure. In such circumstances, the western generals work together in harmony, have won victory a train of on vast western part battlefield, step-by-step controlled western part , harbour and industry and agriculture important place, broken off the south army completely supplies, the ultimate feasible south is unable to battle again, surrender completely. Thirdly, since the long and narrow shape of eastern battlefield and upper important politics position, make the both sides attention focus on each other capital offence and defence , the both sides general has to adopt reliable cautious battle tactics, becomes the trench warfare being going to not give in to such an extent even the war later stage develops completely. Western battlefield space is vast ,rigidly adhered to no longer contest every inch of ground and is fussy about momentary advantages and disadvantages, military operations also especially nimbleness is changeful, quick-witted hundred goes out of. The north and south generals performed classical battles such as Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, Atlanta.Finally, from aspec of the military thinking , with the general war being on the rise developing the tidal current having guided times. Have experienced civil war after the initial stage military affairs gives ground ,have changed tactics from Lincoln, fundamental idea having built general war, the battlefield carries out the general war idea first to Grant in western part, develop into strike and "unconditional surrender" tactics to enemy economy and, the spirit, will again, arriving at the policy of "burn all , kill all , loot all" that Sherman carries out from attacking Atlanta to striving for Savannah and there being no a difference to south soldiers and civilians are destroyed, step-by-step general war thought building-up and improve and perfect. Therefore, general war thought exactly is that the battlefield goes globewide from the Civil War western part, one war , two war , cold war and every big local war shadow having general war thought everywhere all.In the end of the article, a conclusion can be carried out that western battlefield is the main battlefield which decided the victory of the American Civil War.