Strengths and Weaknesses of North and South in the Civil War Essay Example

Southerners Advantages

The civil war between the north and the south over slavery among other political, social and economic factors made each side form alliances that would make them stand a better chance at emerging victorious. The north formed a union, while the south joined a confederacy, and each side had an advantage as well as a weakness as opposed to the opposing party. Many arguments often insinuate that the Southerners had no chance at winning the civil war, but this is as inaccurate as it is popular. The confederates first possessed a psychological advantage. They fought for a cause, and that was to retain their homes, restore their freedom and bar the invasion of the North. Nature was also on the favor of the Confederates as the geographical compositions and terrain of their side favored both defenses as well as economic advantage. The climate and fertile lands enhanced agriculture production. Cotton, for instance, was often utilized as a diplomatic tool, and the south used this diplomatic advantage to seek support from regions like Britain(ushistory.org). The Confederates also had a leadership advantage as most of its leaders were either graduates from the military academy at the west point or veterans in the Mexican-American war. Therefore, while the north was struggling for a few years to find the best leaders, the south was a step ahead.

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Union Advantages in the Civil Ear

There is a reason why the north won the civil war. Among the many advantages of the north was its demographic advantage. The union had about 23 million people living in 23 states, and this made them stringers and more influential as opposed to their Southern counterparts who only claimed 9 million people, among them 3.5 million slaves. The union also had an industrial advantage, and therefore, a high capacity of producing forearms. The union also controlled the navy, and hence the seas, and consequently, a blockade would effectively shut off the south. Confederates and Unions Disadvantages

The Confederates had some shortcomings, the most immediate ones being a population minority. With such few people, the Confederates often experienced gun to men ratio issue, with guns being more than the men who could operate them (ushistory.org). Other disadvantages that this side had was a lack of recognition by Europe and hence couldn't get help from this side. They also depended heavily on external trade for provision. A blockade by the union would, therefore, maim their economy and hence cause their inevitable fall. The union's greatest disadvantage was fighting in an unknown territory while leaving their side unguarded and open for attacks. The north also underestimated the war, as well as their rivals, and this mistake cost them.

The Impact of the Disadvantages on the End Result of the Civil War

While both sides seem to hold the war quite evenly, the southern disadvantages were too much to guarantee a win. While most of its economic activities were agriculture, and its primary market the foreign countries, the north could easily maim their economy and render them vulnerable. The north also held the buttons for firearm production among other industries, and this gave them an upper hand. Firearms were very crucial tools during such war, and hence this was in some way an extrapolation of their win. The southerners only possessed resources that could prolong the war for a few more years, but at no point were they destined to win.

Works Cited

Ushistory.org. Strengths and weaknesses: north vs. south. US history online textbook. HYPERLINK "http://www.ushistory.org/us/33b.asp" http://www.ushistory.org/us/33b.asp. November 17, 2018.