Having devoted the last two Substack newsletters to bemoaning the West’s lack of preparedness for a war that I think may well be coming, this week I return to history.
I think you make a very valid point. I also think that the very heavy casualties on both sides were to an extent caused by the shift by both armies from smooth bore muskets to rifles, but retaining close order manoeuvring.
Having come at serious study of the American Civil War via reenactment after long years studying the British wars I came to the conclusion that Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia was the last Napoleonic army and the Union Army especially under Grant was the first modern industrial age army, especially because of their differences in management style.
I think you make a very valid point. I also think that the very heavy casualties on both sides were to an extent caused by the shift by both armies from smooth bore muskets to rifles, but retaining close order manoeuvring.
Having come at serious study of the American Civil War via reenactment after long years studying the British wars I came to the conclusion that Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia was the last Napoleonic army and the Union Army especially under Grant was the first modern industrial age army, especially because of their differences in management style.