What elements caused the political and strategic decisions made by presidents Lincoln and Davis during the US Civil War have a new level of significance?

Answer 1

In any war of major proportions the heads of state faces crucial decisions. That being said, it is important to note that both presidents Lincoln and Davis faced truly revolutionary situations during the US Civil War. Both men were not acting as heads of stable national governments defending well established constitutional systems. Each president was the leader of embattled political movements that pressurized them because of uncontrollable social, military and political elements present in the Union and the Confederacy.Lincoln was faced by radical forces in his own party that set up the infamous Committee on the Conduct of the War. He had to deal with border slave states and War Democrats. Clearly the revolving doors of military leaderships and a news press that were split in their views and made that point clear at every turn. The largest city, New York City was led New York Democratic politicians and an immigrant work force hostile to the war. What would cause the thousands of military eligible immigrant workers to risk life and limb to join an army with death rates that could not be disguised.

They had risked life and limb just to get to the New York and Boston docks.

For Davis, he was totally dependent on state governors who had their strongest alliance to their own states. Davis found himself in a virtual life or death situation. Some of them even declared Confederate draft laws as unconstitutional. Every battle loss was "his fault". He had no navy, and a central government he threw together in a matter on months.

Each president could be thrown out office by one way or another.

And, lurking was the question of what would happen if either side won? Would the Union treat Confederate officers as traitors?

Or, how would the South operate in a united manner should the Union simply give up and bid them farewell? By 1864, the Confederate economy was in shambles. And if the South did persevere, what about French-Mexico?

The leaders of the American Revolution faced similar problems if the British simply would not give up.

Both wars were "revolutionary" with no clear ending, when it did end.