Even though the Union won the war, it was not inevitable because of the South’s political and military leadership. Superior leadership is often seen as the main reason for the Union victory. However, the Confederacy was well led. Although President Lincoln was more superior to Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee thought Davis was a good fit for the South. Davis worked hard and did his best to motivate Southerners. The Confederates were often accused of failing to manage the country’s economy and finance well. The main criticism is that the South printed too much money, thus fueling inflation which wasted the economy and lowered the Southerners confidence. However, given the Union blockade, inflation was expected. Despite its economic problems, the Confederacy maintained over three (3) percent of its population under arms. In terms of the administration of military supply, the Confederacy could claim some …show more content…
A guerrilla style war meant the loss of territory and slaves and this would have alienated most Southerners. A guerrilla war could wear down the Union will only as long as Southerners remained devoted to the cause. An Unequal number of units could not have supplied battlefield victories of the magnitude Lee’s army won in 1862 to 1863; victories were essential to national morale. Also, Davis needed to create a nation with a successful army to win British and French acknowledgement. Neither country would have accepted an inexperienced Confederacy that relied on guerrilla units rather than on a proper army. Successful guerrilla wars for the most part have benefited from dependable alliances, but no such support was available to the Confederacy. When Davis called for an all-out guerrilla war in 1865, there were no participants. Most Southerners saw that a guerrilla war would simply extend the misery with little prospect of winning