So, something I've been mulling recently: why did the South lose the war, and who's to blame? I'm writing an essay putting much of the blame on Lee, but of course there are other options. What do y'all think?
1/4 the numbers of people
1/2 the soldiers
3% of firearm production
and relied heavily on exports that were gone during the war
Blaming Lee for the loss is nuts.
Correct. The South lost for economic reasons, which is generally the case in most wars.
But, they also had some advantages:
1. Exceptionally high moral.
2. Arguably a more experienced and better trained officer corp (a lot of the really top people, including Lee, were West Point trained).
3. Generally, they fought on known ground (and map making was not particularly extensive by the federal government prior to the war). Gettysburg and Antietam were notable exceptions.
4. A not particularly capable blockading force, at least prior to 1863.
