Without the victory at Gettysburg, it is very possible the Union could have lost the civil war. Tensions about wanting peace were at their height, and if the Union had lost at Gettysburg, retreating back to Washington, not being able to protect the rest of the north, people would have vowed for peace with the south. The strategic victory at Vicksburg would have meant nothing if the Confederacy had won at Gettysburg. Cause they would be able to push the Union into a corner (Washington) and besiege them. And any other confederate reserves and reinforcement would be sent to Washington. The rest of troops in the west would merely hold out until the Union would surrender. So therefore Gettysburg was the turning point of the civil war because it restored faith in the war effort, and gave the Union the victory it needed to solidify its defense of the North, and to deal a important blow to the confederate army.
4 weeks ago | 1
I’m pretty sure most people that know their history recognize that the fall of Vicksburg was far more important towards union victory than the battle of Gettysburg. All the Gettysburg is a shining moment, its primary significance lies in it being the place and time in which Lee effectively tore the guts out of his own army. from that point onward, he would always have to be on the defensive and while that is certainly a significant thing on its own, Vicksburg effectively split the Confederacy in two and deprived the South of the beef and other resources of Texas and the West - turning the trans-Mississippi Theater into a backwater for the remainder of the War.
1 month ago | 1
realBobPhilips
What battle was more of a turning point in the American Civil War, and why?
1 month ago | [YT] | 14