The Decisive General : Ulysses S. Grant and the American Civil War in 1864
Abstract
General Ulysses S. Grant was decisive in the American Civil War through his Clausewitzian understanding of the conflict's character, his ability to operationalize President Abraham Lincoln's policy into a matching military strategy of total war, and his relentless execution of its campaigns. General Grant broke the strategic stalemate in 1864 by shifting focus from the prevailing decisive battles to a decisive strategy that targeted the Confederate "trinity" and endorsed President Lincoln in the Union trinity. In difference to his predecessors, Grant as General-in-Chief never challenged Union policy, but devised a unified strategy that attacked the Confederacy in concert throughout all theaters of operations directly, and its enabling resources within the Southern population indirectly. In the end, according to President Lincoln and General Sherman, the difference was not as much the new Union military strategy, but General Grant himself. In this regards, General Ulysses S. Grant merits the continuous studies of him and his character to comprehend why he was a great general in the defining conflict of the United States.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 23, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA601116
Entities
People
- Steinar Dahl
Organizations
- Marine Corps University