Which made the civil war one of the first modern wars?

Answer 1

Many things about the US Civil War made it so -called first modern conflict. Here are some examples that point that out:

A. Massed formations so prevelent in previous wars became obsolete when firepower, accuracy and the killing distance of infantrymen was increased;

B. This upgrade in accuracy made frontal attacks highy dangerous;

C. New infantry formations and battle tactics stressed mobility, defensive measures and the frequency of surprise attacks;

D. Armies had to now prepare to begin battles much farther apart than in previous wars;

E. Another new battle feature was alligning troops in lines that were farther apart. One formation in particular was the double lines in frontal assault formations. This made for considerable distance between each pair of lines thus reducing the effectiveness of defensive battle tactics;

F. Bayonet fighting practically became extinct due to the distance from which soldiers could target the enemy from longer distances;and

G. Cavalry charges were now less effective in that infantry fire could hit men & horses from a greater distance.