Exploring Natures Agency: An Environmental Study of the Campaign for Savannah from 1778-1779

Abstract

The fight for Savannah during the American Revolution included two major operations: the British amphibious assault against the American defenses and the failed Franco-American siege and assault on the British defenses. This monograph explores how natural forces directly contributed to commanders' sensemaking throughout the campaign. Analyzing the sea, the terrain, and disease as actors in the campaign shows that nature did not just provide a stage for the fight to occur, but took part in the fight itself. Natural forces did not take a side; the sea, the terrain, and disease did not favor the British, Americans, or French, but each contributed into the complex system that is warfare. The way that each commander viewed himself in relation to nature directly affected the decisions that they made and the outcome of the engagements.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 20, 2021
Accession Number
AD1161613

Entities

People

  • Robert E. Pushard

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • American Revolution
  • Amphibious Operations
  • Civil War
  • Civil War (United States)
  • Court Martial
  • Cyber Warfare
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Environment
  • Governments
  • Health Services
  • Information Operations
  • Littoral Zones
  • Military Operations
  • New York
  • North America
  • Pennsylvania
  • Revolutions
  • South Carolina
  • Terrain Shaping
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.