First Modern War Revisted

[wausaubob]

The modern elements dominated.
At sea and on the rivers, steam power, permanent and added armor, and the ability to use explosive shells had already created navies that could wipe out any Napoleonic navy in minutes. But the static position of US and Confederate navies was not what made them modern. The rate of change had increased, and it was accelerating. Warships were about to become very big, very well armored, and extremely expensive. The age of research, design and testing had begun. In 80 years navies went from steam driven ironclads to diesel driven aircraft carriers. Naval and aviation research was already modern by 1860.
The naval engineer was as important as any battle zone admiral in that war. And the Confederates were certainly part of the acceleration of change.
In land warfare the range and accuracy of weapons was increasing and by the middle of war both sides could allow their cavalry to conduct raids independently, but that is not what made the US Civil War the first modern war.
As Mark Wilson wrote, it was the ability of the two belligerents to use their railroad networks to sustain their armies in the field on a year round and continual basis that foreshadowed modern national warfare.
The Confederates were good at it, with their railroad network reaching from central Virginia to Alabama. But the US had what amounted to two railroad networks. One network was on the east coast, and the other was centered on Chicago and Illinois. The pace at which the US learned how to use the telegraph and railroad to sustain quartermaster and commissary operations made Napoleonic logistics obsolete.
The quick build methods that allowed the US to restore lines and bridges, build car ferries where they were needed, were modern. The slow economy of 1860 was producing about 410 locomotives per year. By the end of the decade US industry was producing about 1,100 engines per year. The pace of change had increased before the war began, but it was concealed by the slow down in the US industrial economy after 1857. But the pace was accelerating. The shear size of the US railroad industry was drawing amateur and professional researchers to the industry. Things like automatic couplers and air brakes were likely to follow as experimenters found the correct solutions. The pace of technical transfer from England to the US had increased. The age of steel, coal and even anthracite was beginning.

 

[atlantis]

The modern elements dominated.
At sea and on the rivers, steam power, permanent and added armor, and the ability to use explosive shells had already created navies that could wipe out any Napoleonic navy in minutes. But the static position of US and Confederate navies was not what made them modern. The rate of change had increased, and it was accelerating. Warships were about to become very big, very well armored, and extremely expensive. The age of research, design and testing had begun. In 80 years navies went from steam driven ironclads to diesel driven aircraft carriers. Naval and aviation research was already modern by 1860.
The naval engineer was as important as any battle zone admiral in that war. And the Confederates were certainly part of the acceleration of change.
In land warfare the range and accuracy of weapons was increasing and by the middle of war both sides could allow their cavalry to conduct raids independently, but that is not what made the US Civil War the first modern war.
As Mark Wilson wrote, it was the ability of the two belligerents to use their railroad networks to sustain their armies in the field on a year round and continual basis that foreshadowed modern national warfare.
The Confederates were good at it, with their railroad network reaching from central Virginia to Alabama. But the US had what amounted to two railroad networks. One network was on the east coast, and the other was centered on Chicago and Illinois. The pace at which the US learned how to use the telegraph and railroad to sustain quartermaster and commissary operations made Napoleonic logistics obsolete.
The quick build methods that allowed the US to restore lines and bridges, build car ferries where they were needed, were modern. The slow economy of 1860 was producing about 410 locomotives per year. By the end of the decade US industry was producing about 1,100 engines per year. The pace of change had increased before the war began, but it was concealed by the slow down in the US industrial economy after 1857. But the pace was accelerating. The shear size of the US railroad industry was drawing amateur and professional researchers to the industry. Things like automatic couplers and air brakes were likely to follow as experimenters found the correct solutions. The pace of technical transfer from England to the US had increased. The age of steel, coal and even anthracite was beginning.

Good post, one question though, why do you say confederates were good on railroads?

 

[leftyhunter]

NoThe modern elements dominated.
At sea and on the rivers, steam power, permanent and added armor, and the ability to use explosive shells had already created navies that could wipe out any Napoleonic navy in minutes. But the static position of US and Confederate navies was not what made them modern. The rate of change had increased, and it was accelerating. Warships were about to become very big, very well armored, and extremely expensive. The age of research, design and testing had begun. In 80 years navies went from steam driven ironclads to diesel driven aircraft carriers. Naval and aviation research was already modern by 1860.
The naval engineer was as important as any battle zone admiral in that war. And the Confederates were certainly part of the acceleration of change.
In land warfare the range and accuracy of weapons was increasing and by the middle of war both sides could allow their cavalry to conduct raids independently, but that is not what made the US Civil War the first modern war.
As Mark Wilson wrote, it was the ability of the two belligerents to use their railroad networks to sustain their armies in the field on a year round and continual basis that foreshadowed modern national warfare.
The Confederates were good at it, with their railroad network reaching from central Virginia to Alabama. But the US had what amounted to two railroad networks. One network was on the east coast, and the other was centered on Chicago and Illinois. The pace at which the US learned how to use the telegraph and railroad to sustain quartermaster and commissary operations made Napoleonic logistics obsolete.
The quick build methods that allowed the US to restore lines and bridges, build car ferries where they were needed, were modern. The slow economy of 1860 was producing about 410 locomotives per year. By the end of the decade US industry was producing about 1,100 engines per year. The pace of change had increased before the war began, but it was concealed by the slow down in the US industrial economy after 1857. But the pace was accelerating. The shear size of the US railroad industry was drawing amateur and professional researchers to the industry. Things like automatic couplers and air brakes were likely to follow as experimenters found the correct solutions. The pace of technical transfer from England to the US had increased. The age of steel, coal and even anthracite was beginning.

If the Confederates can't produce their own locomotives nor rail ties plus not maintain them then the Confederates are not good at railroads. British Army Colonel Arthur Freemantle actually rode Confedrate railroads and his opinion was quite different from yours regarding the state of Confedrate railroads.
You have to have a definition of what " modern war" is as it's almost a meaningless term.
Leftyhunter

 

[leftyhunter]

NoThe modern elements dominated.
At sea and on the rivers, steam power, permanent and added armor, and the ability to use explosive shells had already created navies that could wipe out any Napoleonic navy in minutes. But the static position of US and Confederate navies was not what made them modern. The rate of change had increased, and it was accelerating. Warships were about to become very big, very well armored, and extremely expensive. The age of research, design and testing had begun. In 80 years navies went from steam driven ironclads to diesel driven aircraft carriers. Naval and aviation research was already modern by 1860.
The naval engineer was as important as any battle zone admiral in that war. And the Confederates were certainly part of the acceleration of change.
In land warfare the range and accuracy of weapons was increasing and by the middle of war both sides could allow their cavalry to conduct raids independently, but that is not what made the US Civil War the first modern war.
As Mark Wilson wrote, it was the ability of the two belligerents to use their railroad networks to sustain their armies in the field on a year round and continual basis that foreshadowed modern national warfare.
The Confederates were good at it, with their railroad network reaching from central Virginia to Alabama. But the US had what amounted to two railroad networks. One network was on the east coast, and the other was centered on Chicago and Illinois. The pace at which the US learned how to use the telegraph and railroad to sustain quartermaster and commissary operations made Napoleonic logistics obsolete.
The quick build methods that allowed the US to restore lines and bridges, build car ferries where they were needed, were modern. The slow economy of 1860 was producing about 410 locomotives per year. By the end of the decade US industry was producing about 1,100 engines per year. The pace of change had increased before the war began, but it was concealed by the slow down in the US industrial economy after 1857. But the pace was accelerating. The shear size of the US railroad industry was drawing amateur and professional researchers to the industry. Things like automatic couplers and air brakes were likely to follow as experimenters found the correct solutions. The pace of technical transfer from England to the US had increased. The age of steel, coal and even anthracite was beginning.

If the Confederates can't produce their own locomotives nor rail ties plus not maintain them then the Confederates are not good at railroads. British Army Colonel Arthur Freemantle actually rode Confedrate railroads and his opinion was quite different from yours regarding the state of Confedrate railroads.
You have to have a definition of what " modern war" is .
Leftyhunter

 

[Saphroneth]

I think the extent to which the Civil War prefigures modern war, both to a great extent and specifically, has been generally overstated. For example:

As Mark Wilson wrote, it was the ability of the two belligerents to use their railroad networks to sustain their armies in the field on a year round and continual basis that foreshadowed modern national warfare.

In fact, the armies did not usually fight year round (Stones River happens in the winter but it's followed by several months of inactivity) while in the Napoleonic Wars campaigns could go right through the snowy periods. To take the 1806-7 campaigning:

Jena–Auerstedt 14 October
Pursuit continues for the rest of October
Lubeck 6 November
Pultusk 26 December
Graudenz placed under siege in January
Mohrungen 25 January
Eylau 7-8 February
Ostrołęka 16 February
Kolberg placed under siege in March
Danzig ditto, falls 24 May
Guttstadt-Deppen 5-6 June
Friedland 14 June

So the only really significant period of inactivity is March to May, when the force went into cantonments, and that's shorter than the inactive period for Rosecrans before Tullahoma or really any of the AotP's winter pauses.