The Evolution of Joint Operations during the Civil War

Abstract

History has demonstrated that amphibious assaults are among the most complex and challenging of all joint operations. The myriad of factors involved in joint amphibious assaults that evolved independently throughout the American Civil War did not become fully integrated until the winter of 1864-1865. This thesis explores the maturation of joint amphibious operations during the U.S. Civil War, specifically through the two amphibious assaults on Fort Fisher in Wilmington, North Carolina. The analysis will use modern joint doctrine as the framework to compare and contrast the two assaults, one of which was a seaborne assault and the other a riverine assault. Utilizing Fort Fisher as the focus develops an understanding of the interrelationship of the various factors involved in a joint operation and the challenges posed in their synchronization. The study concludes that the operations reflected jointness, but also marked the emergence of modern amphibious assault concepts.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 12, 2009
Accession Number
ADA510943

Entities

People

  • Michael A. Reed

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Cyber
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amphibious Operations
  • Artillery
  • Boats
  • Civil War
  • Command And Control
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Doctrine
  • Geography
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Science
  • Military Tactics
  • Naval Operations
  • Naval Warfare
  • Navy
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.