DQ 2: How did the Civil War affect the home front?

How did the Civil War affect the home front? What was the connection between the home front and battlefront for both North and South? How did the strategy of total war affect the outcome and legacy of the war?

The Civil War had a significant effect on home front. One of the effects was the fact that women were handled with the responsibility of caring their families. The women were tasked with the roles of providing for their families since their husbands had gone to the war. There was also a sharp inflation in the state. The rise in inflation was attributed to the reduced spending on exports. Instead, the available resources in the state were used in strengthening the capabilities of the army. They were also used to purchase the raw materials for ammunition and other equipment that were needed in the war (Armitage, 2017). There was a reduction in the available supply of basic commodities and increased morbidity and mortality due to the decline in the quality of healthcare services offered to the public.

There exist a connection between the home front and battlefront for both the South and North. One of the connections is that they relied on one another. The success of the battlefront was dependent on the support that it received from the home front. For instance, the home front acted as a source of soldiers that could participate in the battlefront. The home front also provided the needed resources such as food and medicines for the battlefront during the war. The home front and battlefront also experienced similar challenges. The war resulted in a significant rise in the rate of inflation in the state. This made it difficult for the soldiers and their families to meet their daily needs. Therefore, the soldiers expressed their dissatisfaction with their participation in the war, hence, the similarities between these fronts. The strategy utilized in the Civil War was brutal that it was perceived as ethically and morally wrong. This strategy was successful since it demoralized the enemies of the state, to a level where they were not willing to participate in the war (Armitage, 2017). Consequently, this formed the legacy of the Civil War in the history of America.

References

Armitage, D. (2017). Civil wars: a history in ideas. Yale University Press.