The military campaign conducted by the Union Army in late 1864, commanded by General William Tecumseh Sherman, involved a march through Georgia from Atlanta to Savannah. This operation, a key turning point in the American Civil War, targeted not only Confederate armies but also the civilian infrastructure that supported the Confederacy’s war effort. The widespread destruction of railroads, factories, and agricultural resources aimed to cripple the South’s ability to wage war and to break the morale of its population.
The significance of this operation lies in its demonstration of total war, a strategy prioritizing the disruption of an enemy’s economy and social fabric alongside military objectives. By directly impacting the civilian population and destroying their resources, it accelerated the Confederacy’s collapse and hastened the end of the Civil War. It also had long-lasting economic and social consequences for the Southern states.
