Military History

Unlike other types of war, the Civil War was a time of great political and great turmoil. At a time of great technological change, the military men developed new and advanced weapons including the submarine and repeating rifle that changed the scene of the war (Mountjoy& McNeese, 2009). Other technologies that made the Civil War deadly included the use of the telegraph and the railroad that enhanced the logistics and people’s way of life. Other new weapons and technologies used in the War including the Minie ball, rifled gun barrels and repeating rifles were stronger and faster and could handle deadly attacks from a distance unlike the muskets used before where the military men had to attack from a close range, leaving them more vulnerable. The combination of accuracy and speed and the frequent use of the torpedo and the Gatling gun further indicated that the fighting had to be deadlier than ever.

Similarly, in comparison to other wars, the playing ground in the Civil War was more organized in terms of leaner battle lines and more efficient systems. Instead of being a consensual and rare event, the battle became more practical. Thanks to Fredrick the Great, the fighters could march and deploy on the enemy’s flank for a deadly attack (Nardo, 2011).The confederate army also formed stronger battalions based in the available brigade.

The battle of Gettysburg in particular was the actual turning point of the American’s Civil War. Although the battle lasted for only three days, the casualties were shocking. This particular battle was favored by the Gettysburg’s road network and its position on the east side of the mountains which proved to be important factors that led to the battle. The battle was also a decisive victory for the union, which was characterized by able leadership and united army (Nardo, 2011). Nevertheless, tactics, technology, terrain, control and command problems are seen as some of the circumstances that made the Civil War combat less decisive compared to the Napoleonic combat.

 References

Mountjoy, S. & McNeese, T. (2009).Technology and the Civil War. New York: Infobase

            Publishing.

Nardo, D. (2011). Bull Run to Gettysburg: Early Battles of the Civil War. USA: Library of

Congress.

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