USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The Confederates had the advantage of being able to wage a defensive war, rather than an offensive one. They had to protect and preserve their new boundaries, but they did not have to be the aggressors against the Union .

Detailed explanation-2: -The South’s greatest strength lay in the fact that it was fighting on the defensive in its own territory. Familiar with the landscape, Southerners could harass Northern invaders. The military and political objectives of the Union were much more difficult to accomplish.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Union outweighed the confederacy in almost every way; the number of states as well as the number of people. Despite the North’s larger population, the South had an army almost equal in size, during the first year of the war. The North had a greater industrial advantage.

Detailed explanation-4: -They knew the terrain well and had shorter supply and communication lines. And since most battles were fought on Southern soil, the Confederate army seldom had to worry about fighting behind enemy lines. Perhaps the greatest advantage held by the South was that it could fight a defensive war.

Detailed explanation-5: -Common sentiments for supporting the Confederate cause during the Civil War were slavery and states’ rights. These motivations played a part in the lives of Confederate soldiers and the South’s decision to withdraw from the Union. Many were motivated to fight in order to preserve the institution of slavery.