Did the north have any advantages against the south during the civil war?

Answer 1

The south had the mental advantage, they were fighting for something and the north was just fighting against something. The north on the other hand had the materialistic advantage, they had factories, most of the population so they had a bigger army, basically the south had the most cotton and that was it.

AnswerThe north had the larger population so that played a huge role. Also, the south had better generals than the north, but the south still had few people so the generals didn't really make up for the lack of soldiers. AnswerWell, since the North won the war, obviously their advantage was greater. Michael Montagne AnswerTHE NORTH AnswerI know that one huge advantage was that the North was industrialized while the South was primarily an agricultural society. AnswerThe Southern army was spurred on by an insatiable drive to win the war.

chris is cool

Answer 2

Both sides had certain strengths. The North had the bigger population and better artillery, the South had a more inspiring war-aim and better cavalry etc.

But the biggest factor was that the North had the industrial facilities to manufacture war supplies, and the South did not. And when the Northern blockade became effective, preventing the South from exporting its cotton, the whole balance tilted steadily against the Confederates.

Issue #6: Population:

The North had a population of about 20 million compared to about 5 million in the South, plus about four million slaves. The larger population of the North allowed them to steadily supply the war machine with both civilian manpower to manufacture war supplies and soldiers to fight the war. The North could field larger armies than the South; however the North's population generally did not have the experiences that prepared them for fighting a war. The North's was able to replace their losses and maintain troop strength. The North would eventually use their greater numbers to a greater effect by not exchanging prisoners with the South thus severely limiting the South's ability keep up the strength of its armies. The North was much more able to absorb the loss of captured, wounded, and dead than the South. Eventually some in the South were willing to compromise on the slavery issue by enlisting some slaves to fight for Southern independence.

- Advantage North

Issue #5: Transportation/Railroads/Navy:

The Northern navy stopped many materials from being imported by the South through the blockade that was known as the Anaconda Plan, General Winfield Scott's plan to slowly squeeze the South into submission. The North also had a much better system of railroads, highways, and even canals to keep its troops supplied. This allowed the North to not only resupply its troops but, to do so in a timely manner, which any one that is familiar with military strategy will tell you is important. Because of the rail lines the North had this also meant that they had better lines of communication as well as a more efficient method of moving troops that would be fresh when they got to the battle. The South did have the slight advantage its lines being "interior lines", and thus its lines were where they needed them to be, while the North had to establish its lines of communication when it advanced into the South.

- Advantage North

Issue #4: Home field motivation and disadvantages:

The South had the advantage of fighting most of the war on their soil. The South therefore were far more likely to know the terrain and understand the local populaces leaning, were the local farmers supporters of Southern independence or were they leaning towards the North. The South had the advantage for the majority of the war of fighting a defensive war. The North had to successfully invade the South to win the war. The Southerners were defending their homes from invaders. Southerners were striving to preserve their way of life and because of this felt a greater sense of unity with their fellow Southerners (slave holder and non-slave holder alike). In the North, it was common for the populace to be divided on issues, from regional disputes to slavery and politics. One advantage for the North in fighting the war almost exclusively in the South was that its factories, crops, and populations in the North did not have to bear the brunt of the fighting, no one in New York or Illinois was afraid that an enemy army would appear at their doorsteps when they awoke each day, a fear of almost all Southerners.

- Advantage South/North

Issue #3: Military Leadership:

The North may not have had superior leaders as a whole; most would say that the South had the superior generals. However, the North's tactics were definitely an advantage. The Anaconda Plan was to blockade, divide, and conquer the Confederacy. Like the name implies they set out to constrict the South into submission. The North's leaders did not define a time limit for when they thought the war would end. The South thought that the war would be over quickly, they only planned for about eighteen months of fighting. This restricted their options in fighting the war tactically. The majority of the leaders on both sides had the same training; many opposing generals were West Point schoolmates. General's Lee and Grant, likely the two most famous leaders for their respective sides had both been trained at West Point, though their careers had been markedly different.

- Advantage North

Issue #2: Agricultural Capacity:

Most people looking at the food growing capacity of the two sides during the Civil War will think that the South would have a clear advantage, but in my opinion they would be wrong. Yes the South is famous for its plantations, operated mostly by slaves but we know that this image of the South is a false one. The real South was full of small family farms that if they had a slave working the crops it was likely to be "borrowed" from someone else, because we know that the majority or Southerners did not have slave. The image of the North is of an industrialized nation but the reality is that the North, not the South was the bread basket of the United States. Because of this fact the North was able to amply supply it troops with foodstuffs while the South struggled to feed its armies. The South had agricultural capacity but its main crops were cash crops not food, and its cash crops could not even be traded for foodstuffs because of the North's almost total blockade of the South, the Anaconda Plan.

- Advantage North

Issue # 1: Manufacturing:

The North also had a distinct advantage in manufacturing capability. The North was able to produce vast quantities of war materials while the South was not able to produce enough to keep up with the demand of its armies. The North was already an industrialized "nation" before the war, with large cities centered on industry and trade. The North also had a ready workforce, comprised partially of immigrants that came to the United States and stayed in the North in part because of the lack of slave competition for labor. Production levels were sustained when men left to fight the war because immigrants and women kept working in the factories producing the war materials that would allow the North to subjugate the South. The Southern dependence on slavery made it difficult for them to industrialize. This meant that the South would not be able make the war fighting materials it would need to fight for independence. The South's inability to trade because of the North's naval blockade exacerbated the South's position. The North was prepared to use its factories and industrial strength, while the South had always produced raw materials and sent them somewhere else to be finished. Because of this the South would find it difficult to keep its troops amply supplied with the two main things needed to fight a war even today, beans and bullets.

- Advantage North

Answer 3

The North had many advantages in the Civil War. The Union had a larger population with 14 million more people than the Confederate States. The fact that they had a greater population was beneficial because they had more people to fight or manufacture weapons for battle. The Union also had 3 times more land than the Confederate States did. The Union also had greater financial resources and had 1,200,000 more troops in their army. Also, the North had 2.4 times more railroad track than the South, which made it easier for the North to transport weapons, soldiers, and other materials to help win the war. The Union also had greater manufacturing and iron production. The North had pretty much every advantage over the South, making it almost inevitable for the North to have won the Civil War, and they did.

Answer 4

Probably the South had more advantages at the beginning of the Civil War. Perhaps if the South had followed the plan advocated by General Albert Sidney Johnson, the South would have won the Civil War. Such was not to be the case. The war turned into a war of attrition. The North had far greater advantages for winning that type of a war.

Answer 5

the south had way less railroads and trade centers than the north. therefore, the north had an atvantage

Answer 6

The. North won . Robert E Lee surrenderd to General Grant.

Answer 7

south..ther is a book about it i think

Answer 8

north