Great Battles

The actual battle:






General Sherman's Union forces then moved from Tenessee into Georgia. The objective:Atlanta, a crucial railroad hub and capital of the State of Georgia. Sherman and his forces obliterated nearly all infrastructure on his march, sending his men to tie up railroad tracks around trees so they could be of no use. These railroad tracks around trees were called Sherman ties. Sherman met nominal resistance in his way to Atlanta, only meeting untrained volunteer Confederate armies. These armies were quickly eliminated and Sherman marched on. By July, Sherman's 34,000 Union troops were at the gates of Atlanta. The Confederates refused to give up Atlanta, and so kept an army with 40,000 men stationed there to defend the city. The Union troops were better fed and had more supplies and so defeated the Confederate army there by September. 3,000 Union casualties were inflicted with 5,000 confederate casualties. Sherman then ripped up Atlanta, raiding weapon depots, setting ammunition storehouses ablaze, taking the city's food, and destroying the large abundance of railroad junctions and tracks throughout the city. After Sherman was done with Atlanta, the city had no value at all. This was Total War.

While on the campaign, Sherman gave 10 acres of land to every slave as he pushed through Georgia, giving them freedom and land for the future.

Sherman pushed on through Georgia, aiming for the Atlantic port of Savannah. Sherman captured Savannah and resupply end his troops there before the end of the year. Sherman then prepared his men to attack Charleston, South Carolina, aiming to capture the capital of the state which had first left the Union. But that is a story for another day.

Effect and Legacy:



The effect of Sherman's March to the Sea is clear. It boosted the morale of the North and made civilians believe that the war could be won soon. Thus, Lincoln won almost all of the votes in the election of 1864, therefore ending all chance of Confederate Victory. The campaign also marked the first large scale Total War campaign. The tactic had been used by Ulysses S. Grant prior, but Sherman's annihilation of Georgia showed just how effective Total War could be. 

The Legacy has show he through two major times. A song was made depicting the great victory over the South, titled "Marching through Georgia". A famous movie in the USA was also based off Sherman's March to the Sea, named Gone with the Wind. It is a famous love story that is known throughout the country. Gone with the Wind is shown from the Southern prospective of the March, and depicts the north as barbaric monsters. Gone with the Wind was made in the 1930's, and it is clear that it was. The move is littered with racism and southern propaganda.

Never been there, but I'd understand why.

I will do something WWII next time, but I still encourage you guys to also contribute to this page.

I'll likely do one during Winter Break.
It'd be on Napoleonic Wars or maybe Ottomans.

4 Leningrad

5, Battle of Budapest.
Didn't hear too much about it.