Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia had several specific military advantages over the Union Army. Ultimately, however, the Union Army triumphed. General Lee and the officers and men under his command could not overcome the inherent strengths of the Union Army and ultimately were defeated.
Lee’s Army: The Strengths
The Army of Northern Virginia had three major military advantages compared to the North (“Confederate States Had Many Advantages at Civil War Outset,” 2014). The North had to invade them and obtain the complete surrender of the South. Otherwise, the North could not preserve the Union (Wells, 2013). This meant that the South could fight a defensive war. The North had to invade the south, occupy and maintain control of the territory they won. This also meant that the South knew the territory better (Wells, 2013).
Second, the soldiers and people of the South believed their cause was just. They were fighting against invaders of their homeland. The anti-slavery North threatened the livelihood and way of life. Unlike the North, where people had mixed feelings about slavery and the politics of succession, the threat to the plantation lifestyle and the invasion by the “Yankees” ensured that the Southern white population rallied behind their leaders and the cause of succession (Farmer, 2005).
Third, some of the finest military commanders in the United States Army prior to 1861 came from the South. It was a long time before the North could find competent leaders that could win the war. Many of the rank and file of the Confederate army had some military experience. The majority, however, on both sides were volunteers, although a small percentage of the Union Army was conscripted (“Civil War Soldiers,” n.d.). Even so, the Army of Northern Virginia rallied around one cause whereas the Union volunteers were not as unified.
Lee’s Army: The Weaknesses
One of the main disadvantages that the Army of Northern Virginia faced was a lack of a manufacturing base (Wells, 2013). There were not enough factories to produce the weapons, ammunition, and other supplies that an army needs to fight. Also, the South had few railroad lines and could not quickly and efficiently move the supplies to where the soldiers were located (Wells, 2013).
Another major disadvantage was the coastline. The South had a long coastline to defend and a very small navy to defend it with, whereas the North had a large naval force they could actually use to blockade Southern ports (Wells, 2013).
Finally, the South had a relatively small population compared to the North, and a large part of the population were slaves, that were no real help to the Confederacy.
Conclusion
Even though the Army of Northern Virginia had some significant advantages over the North at the beginning of the war, the lack of factories, inability to move supplies around quickly, and the lack of a naval force eventually helped bring about their defeat. Though the advantages helped the South at the beginning of the war, as the years dragged on the South was unable to sustain itself and its army due to the weaknesses, and eventually succumbed to the bigger, better-supplied Union Army (Farmer, 2003).
References
Civil War Soldiers | HistoryNet. (n.d.). Retrieved July 02, 2016, from http://www.historynet.com/civil-war-soldiers
Confederate States Had Many Advantages at Civil War Outset. (2014). Retrieved July 02, 2016, from http://www.civilwar.org/resources/confederate-states-had-many.html
Farmer, A. (2005, September). Why was the Confederacy Defeated? Retrieved July 02, 2016, from http://www.historytoday.com/alan-farmer/why-was-confederacy-defeated
Katcher, P. R. (1994). The army of Robert E. Lee. London: Arms and Armour.
Wells, P. (2013, September 25). North v. South: Advantages & Disadvantages in the Civil War. Retrieved July 02, 2016, from https://prezi.com/nb9n1iyaekqg/north-v-south-advantages-disadvantages-in-the-civil-war/
