Refighting the Civil War always come down to: Did the North win the war? Did the South lose the war?
The South lost the war because they could not capitalize on their early victories. They had about a year, maybe two, to win enough battles, including some victories in the North, to bring enough pressure to bear to prevail. They needed what we now call a blitzkrieg strategy. Same thing happened to Japan in the Pacific about 80 years later.
Lincoln won the war because he was tougher. He never caved to the enormous pressures he endured when the South had their early success. Many wanted him to do just that.
Lincoln won the war because he was smarter. He know how to count. Count to 21-22 million Yankees vs. about 7 million Rebs and 3.5 million slaves.
The South lost the war in the West. Lincoln brought better generals and more resources. Failure after failure in the West took its tole. Lincoln, Grant, Sherman and Sheridan figured out how to destroy the basic infrastructure of the South and moved East.
Some Southern Governor began to withhold resources from the Confederacy for their own states. They were after all...fighting for “State Rights.” So Lincoln rallied the North behind a single cause. Preserve the Union. And later he added; Free the Slaves.
Like I said; Lincoln was smarter. And tough enough to win his war.
Not really. That analysis proves nor solves nothing. One could as easily say, "Stalin was tough enough and smart enough to win his war. Hitler wasn't."
