Yes.
They were proved wrong by the First Battle of Bull Run, after which there was no significant combat for six months.
There were very few officers on either side who guessed it would be a long war.
One of them was the too-elderlyUnion General-in-Chief, Winfield Scott,who proposed a long-term solution that was derided by the press as the 'Anaconda' (i.e. slow strangulation).
Also on the Union side, there was an unknown, half-madColonel, William T. Sherman, who made remarkably accurate forecasts to his friends in the South, explaining that they would enjoy some early victories, but that their lack of industrial manufacturing capability would increasingly swing the war against them.
On the Confederate side, it seems that only Robert E. Lee felt that it would be a long war. though presumably with a different outcome. Lee's view was highly emotional, fixated on the defence of his home-state of Virginia. Some say that hisblind spot aboutthe Western theatre cost the Confederates the war.
The expectation that the fight would be short-lived likely stemmed from underestimating the resilience and determination of both sides involved. Historical precedents of quick resolutions may have fueled this belief, leading to overconfidence in their strategies. However, as the conflict unfolded, it became clear that both sides were prepared for a prolonged struggle, challenging initial assumptions and altering the course of events. This miscalculation highlighted the complexities of warfare and the unpredictability of human conflict.
Both sides thought it would a short, glorious and largely bloodless affair of splendid uniforms and bands, ending in early victory. See Sherman's letters to Southern friends, warning them of what was really to come.
I think it was because the first people to get there could choose whether or not the state allowed slaves. Therefore both sides wanted to quickly get there and claim it as their own.
Because both sides were certain that they would win.
Both sides believed that war was imminent. The build up began well before South Carolina seceded and precipitated the attack on Fort Sumter. Both sides were prepared for the consequences of secession.
six months
six months
Both sides were sure they were going to win. When the war started they thought it would be over quickly, bring glory, and be a great adventure . Little did they realize it would be so bloody, long, and deadly.
no. both sides thought it would be a quick and simple war.
Nationalism and both sides thought that it would be a short decisive conflict
Both sides thought it would be a short war.
The fact that I remember best about the casualties (Not dead) at Shiloh is that the ~23,000 on both sides were more than those in all the wars the US had fought to that date. It was a real shock to those people on both sides who thought it would be a short war...
They thought it would take to long to defeat the Confederacy.
Most people on both sides thought the war would be over in a few weeks. Many new recruits feared they would miss the action.
Both sides would have been on normal rations. The privations of war had not started to register as early as this, and most people still thought it would be a short war.
Both sides - both should love both sides unconditionally
The effect of a more protracted war with Japan would have had negative results for both sides. Many thousands would have been killed or wounded on both sides and the resources of both sides would have been seriously depleted.