German Observations and Evaluations of the U.S. Civil War: A Study in Lessons not Learned

USS ALASKA

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After the thread on 'the first modern war' and references to European analysis of the ACW in other threads, I thought the below might be of value.

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

By KAY BRINKMANN, LTC, GERMAN ARMY Diplom-Pädagoge, Universität der Bundeswehr München, 1986

"Helmuth von Moltke’s alleged statement the U.S. Civil War was an affair in which two armed mobs chased each other around the country and from which no lessons could be learned underlines a grave misjudgment of this war in contemporary Germany. Today, however, the American Civil War is recognized as the first modern war. It produced a number of lessons across the strategic operational and tactical levels that shaped the face of war. But the German observers failed to draw significant conclusions at the time. A wide variety of reasons inhibited a thorough and unbiased analysis.

This study aims to analyze the German observations and to arrive at the causes that led to the underestimation and disregard of the lessons from the Civil War. The thesis provides a sketch of the Civil War and the situation of contemporary Germany. It then examines the German observers and their evaluations. Thereafter, the author reflects selected essential lessons of the war against the contemporary German military evolution. In a final step the conclusions of these sections will merge into an analysis of the causes, which prevented the German army from arriving at the lessons of the U.S. Civil War."
 

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After the thread on 'the first modern war' and references to European analysis of the ACW in other threads, I thought the below might be of value.

Cheers,
USS ALASKA



By KAY BRINKMANN, LTC, GERMAN ARMY Diplom-Pädagoge, Universität der Bundeswehr München, 1986

"Helmuth von Moltke’s alleged statement the U.S. Civil War was an affair in which two armed mobs chased each other around the country and from which no lessons could be learned underlines a grave misjudgment of this war in contemporary Germany. Today, however, the American Civil War is recognized as the first modern war. It produced a number of lessons across the strategic operational and tactical levels that shaped the face of war. But the German observers failed to draw significant conclusions at the time. A wide variety of reasons inhibited a thorough and unbiased analysis.


This study aims to analyze the German observations and to arrive at the causes that led to the underestimation and disregard of the lessons from the Civil War. The thesis provides a sketch of the Civil War and the situation of contemporary Germany. It then examines the German observers and their evaluations. Thereafter, the author reflects selected essential lessons of the war against the contemporary German military evolution. In a final step the conclusions of these sections will merge into an analysis of the causes, which prevented the German army from arriving at the lessons of the U.S. Civil War."
A co-worker of mine said after the Civil War the U.S. Army offered all ofvthe European nations copies of it's post Civil War historical analysis of the Civil War. Only the Russian Army accepted the offer.
I don't have a source. Historically it does appear militaries don't do a great job about learning from past conflicts.
Leftyhunter
 
Why would they? They had fought 3 wars, from 1864-1871 against Denmark, Austria and France... and showed the world how you win modern wars effectively.

The civil war showed the world how not to do things... in a none modern war, fought by civilians, armed with obsolete weapons and tactics that was closer to mid 18th century warfare, than how modern armies fought. (in heavy skirmish lines... with the company as the basic tactical unit)

The Germans learned the correct lessons of the 3 wars of unification., How to win... then they forgot them true 40+ years of peace... (just like the Royal navy forgot how to win naval battles from 1805 to 1914)

---
And a writer who don't understand even the basics of why the 1864 war was even fought.
He cant count.
He is effected by some lost cause ideas.
what is a "Springfield repeating carbine"?
And he clearly have not studied the civil war that closely himself...

In short, a wast of time... simply to many myths, misunderstandings and mistakes to be anything to be taken serious.

EDIT.
The parts that is about the German observes and what they reported is interesting.
But the author's conclusions is based on his lack of knowledge of the civil war, properly a bit of reading of books with lost cause ideas and the usual myths about how the rifle musket was a revolutionary new weapon that changed warfare... and he make some mistakes...
 
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Why would they? They had fought 3 wars, from 1864-1871 against Denmark, Austria and France... and showed the world how you win modern wars effectively.

The civil war showed the world how not to do things... in a none modern war, fought by civilians, armed with obsolete weapons and tactics that was closer to mid 18th century warfare, than how modern armies fought. (in heavy skirmish lines... with the company as the basic tactical unit)

The Germans learned the correct lessons of the 3 wars of unification., How to win... then they forgot them true 40+ years of peace... (just like the Royal navy forgot how to win naval battles from 1805 to 1914)

---
And a writer who don't understand even the basics of why the 1864 war was even fought.
He cant count.
He is effected by some lost cause ideas.
what is a "Springfield repeating carbine"?
And he clearly have not studied the civil war that closely himself...

In short, a wast of time... simply to many myths, misunderstandings and mistakes to be anything to be taken serious.

EDIT.
The parts that is about the German observes and what they reported is interesting.
But the author's conclusions is based on his lack of knowledge of the civil war, properly a bit of reading of books with lost cause ideas and the usual myths about how the rifle musket was a revolutionary new weapon that changed warfare... and he make some mistakes...
You just saved me some time.:playfull:
Leftyhunter
 
After the thread on 'the first modern war' and references to European analysis of the ACW in other threads, I thought the below might be of value.

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

By KAY BRINKMANN, LTC, GERMAN ARMY Diplom-Pädagoge, Universität der Bundeswehr München, 1986

"Helmuth von Moltke’s alleged statement the U.S. Civil War was an affair in which two armed mobs chased each other around the country and from which no lessons could be learned underlines a grave misjudgment of this war in contemporary Germany. Today, however, the American Civil War is recognized as the first modern war. It produced a number of lessons across the strategic operational and tactical levels that shaped the face of war. But the German observers failed to draw significant conclusions at the time. A wide variety of reasons inhibited a thorough and unbiased analysis.

This study aims to analyze the German observations and to arrive at the causes that led to the underestimation and disregard of the lessons from the Civil War. The thesis provides a sketch of the Civil War and the situation of contemporary Germany. It then examines the German observers and their evaluations. Thereafter, the author reflects selected essential lessons of the war against the contemporary German military evolution. In a final step the conclusions of these sections will merge into an analysis of the causes, which prevented the German army from arriving at the lessons of the U.S. Civil War."
In a previous thread by @jgoodguy we all argued over the definition of what a " modern war" is. So before we discuss what is a modern war we have to at least define it for the purposes of discussion.
Leftyhunter
 
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Why would they? They had fought 3 wars, from 1864-1871 against Denmark, Austria and France... and showed the world how you win modern wars effectively.
I wrote almost the same thing in 2009. "From the Prussian perspective, von Moltke wrote from the experience of the three quick successive wars from 1864 to 1871 that created the German Empire."

The Prussians were not above learning and dispatched observers to report on foreign wars. From the Boer War, they developed an appreciation for accurate long range rifle fire. "It was... to his rifle that the Boer trusted for decisive effect. From his youth up he had been accustomed to using it, and, more so ever, he knew all there was to know about the natural features of his own country: he knew, consequently, how to get the best work out of his weapon in a fight at extreme ranges, how to add to his own power by an ingenious use of the natural features of the ground, and how, by skillfully strengthening sections of the ground, to call a powerful ally to his assistance in increasing the effect of his weapon."

Of course, with their jager tradition, the Germans were no strangers to the rifle; but that was more predominant in kingdoms like Hannover or Bavaria than Prussia.
 
I wrote almost the same thing in 2009. "From the Prussian perspective, von Moltke wrote from the experience of the three quick successive wars from 1864 to 1871 that created the German Empire."

The Prussians were not above learning and dispatched observers to report on foreign wars. From the Boer War, they developed an appreciation for accurate long range rifle fire. "It was... to his rifle that the Boer trusted for decisive effect. From his youth up he had been accustomed to using it, and, more so ever, he knew all there was to know about the natural features of his own country: he knew, consequently, how to get the best work out of his weapon in a fight at extreme ranges, how to add to his own power by an ingenious use of the natural features of the ground, and how, by skillfully strengthening sections of the ground, to call a powerful ally to his assistance in increasing the effect of his weapon."

Of course, with their jager tradition, the Germans were no strangers to the rifle; but that was more predominant in kingdoms like Hannover or Bavaria than Prussia.
I would add to the above post that knowledge isn't everything. Plenty of modern examples of armies that studies well the lessons of the past and still lost.
Point being its not just armies that win or lose wars there are other factors.
Anyone can PM me for examples.
In the case of the ACW one major non military advantage that the Union had was the Confederacy was badly divided.
Leftyhunter
 
From the Boer War, they developed an appreciation for accurate long range rifle fire.
It also seems as though if this were a lesson to have been learned from the ACW the Prussians would have learned it. IMO it gives more credence to that claim that the rifle musket had a rather muted effect on the ACW.
 
After the thread on 'the first modern war' and references to European analysis of the ACW in other threads, I thought the below might be of value.

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

By KAY BRINKMANN, LTC, GERMAN ARMY Diplom-Pädagoge, Universität der Bundeswehr München, 1986

"Helmuth von Moltke’s alleged statement the U.S. Civil War was an affair in which two armed mobs chased each other around the country and from which no lessons could be learned underlines a grave misjudgment of this war in contemporary Germany. Today, however, the American Civil War is recognized as the first modern war. It produced a number of lessons across the strategic operational and tactical levels that shaped the face of war. But the German observers failed to draw significant conclusions at the time. A wide variety of reasons inhibited a thorough and unbiased analysis.

This study aims to analyze the German observations and to arrive at the causes that led to the underestimation and disregard of the lessons from the Civil War. The thesis provides a sketch of the Civil War and the situation of contemporary Germany. It then examines the German observers and their evaluations. Thereafter, the author reflects selected essential lessons of the war against the contemporary German military evolution. In a final step the conclusions of these sections will merge into an analysis of the causes, which prevented the German army from arriving at the lessons of the U.S. Civil War."
The biggest lesson the Germans could of learned and certainly the Prussians learned it decades before the ACW is don't go to war without a well trained military.
Leftyhunter
 
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