Chapter 334: The American Anti-War Movement (Bonus Chapter)
Washington, the federal government is organizing an evacuation. With continuous defeats on the front lines, the flames of war have reached the federal capital.
Maryland ultimately couldnt stop the advance of the Southern forces. With too many people unable to hold the line, and facing both internal and external threats, even the best efforts of the federal army would be futile.
Moreover, there are too many places for the federal government to defend. In comparison, the greatest value of Washington lies in its political significance, while the Great Lakes region is the core of the federal government.
It can be said that as long as the industrial zone of the Great Lakes is secure, the federal government has the confidence to suppress the rebellion. Otherwise, this war will be impossible to win.
President Lincoln asked cautiously, General Grant, I need a definite answer can Washington be defended?
Grant, the wars fastest-rising Union general, who led the Union Army to its first major victory, became the central figure in Washingtons defense.
It was not an enviable task. With the federal army at a disadvantage, defending the capital was extremely difficult.
Losing other places is one thing; in the overall situation, where the federal army is continuously losing ground, the federal government cannot hold anyone accountable.
The so-called famous generals in history still have to yield to strength. The supposedly famed federal generals in the future were currently being beaten to a pulp on the battlefield, occasionally winning only through sheer luck.
Its not a matter of their command capabilities; its mainly due to the inadequate execution ability of the federal army.
They were a bunch of farmers and workers who had just put down their tools, many of whom had received less than a month of training before being sent to the battlefield. Their combat effectiveness can be imagined.
If the army doesnt collapse halfway, it can already qualify one as a capable general. With such an army, losing battles is only natural.
Of course, after fighting a few more times, the rookies would become veterans with improved combat ability. Historically, the Northern government trained its armies through the fires of war before overwhelming the South with numbers.
In this context, if blame were to be assigned for military defeats, there would be no one left to command the troops.
However, Washington is different; its political significance is too great. Losing the capital would surely lead to someone taking the blame.
Grant responded, Mr. President, I cannot give you a definitive answer to this question. Whether Washington can be defended depends on the determination of the enemy.
The lack of a clear strategy is the biggest problem for the Confederate government. Due to the differing interests of the member states, everyone has different strategic objectives.
To balance internal forces, the Southern government appeared to be stretching in all directions without concentrating superior forces in one place, wasting opportunities.
Lincoln thought for a moment and said, Alright, if theres anything you need, you can just ask. Ill do my best to help you solve it. In any case, you must try your utmost to defend Washington. Even if it means fighting street by street in the alleys, as long as Washington isnt completely lost, I can accept it.
Using Washington as bait to attract the main forces of the Confederate army, buying time for the federal government to win the war.
These are all political propaganda slogans; if Lincoln had a choice, he would never do this. If even the capital is lost, what credibility does he, as the President, have over the federal states?
Grant pondered and said: The 50,000 reinforcements from the West Coast states of California, Oregon, and New Mexico have not departed yet.
Ive sent telegrams urging the state governments, but apparently, they have not completed conscription quotas. If we lack these reinforcements, theres simply no way to defend Washington.
Not every federal state is actively participating in this war. The states on the West Coast are far from the battlefield and dont feel the pressure. Moreover, various European countries are exerting influence and hindering the war effort, so their enthusiasm for joining the war is naturally low.
President Lincoln asked, Mr. Seward, whats going on?
Secretary of State Seward replied with a furrowed brow, The population of the West Coast states is already small, and theyve already provided 150,000 soldiers for the federal government. Most of the willing young men have already enlisted.
Not long ago, the Austrian ocean fleet visited the West Coast states, and Count Hmmel received many German-Americans, encouraging them to leave the United States.
Many people have already left, and now these individuals, under the pretext of being against the civil war, are boycotting enlistment in the federal army. To avoid giving Austrians an excuse to interfere, we cant force them to serve.
This has triggered a chain reaction, with many people in the West Coast region joining the anti-war movement. The state governments are unable to complete their conscription quotas.
There are also other European countries behind this. The headquarters of the anti-war movement is around the various embassies, and as soon as theres any disturbance, these people retreat into the embassies.
To avoid causing diplomatic conflicts and inviting foreign intervention in this war, the state governments dare not take action rashly.
When the federal government advocated national unity, European countries launched the anti-civil war movement. This is a flaw in the American system. Whether its feasible or not, theyll use righteousness to pressure you.
Since the government failed to resolve conflicts peacefully, it was deemed incompetent, and opposing the war became absolutely justified.
Many newspapers supporting the anti-war movement directly attribute the Lincoln government as the worst in American history, surpassing even the government of James Buchanan.
The armchair critics dont need to take responsibility so theyre all just shooting their mouths off.
The anti-war faction has also put forward a bunch of proposals that seem capable of resolving conflicts peacefully on the surface but are not feasible in reality. They criticize the federal governments inaction and accuse it of being manipulated by arms dealers to incite civil war for profit.
Whether others believe it or not, it doesnt matter as the anti-war faction believes it. Those who dont want to go to the battlefield, and those who want to evade military service, also believe it.
Conscription evasion is looked down upon, but theres no moral risk in being anti-civil war. In fact, because of political correctness and public opinion support, state governments cannot hold them legally accountable.
Ultimately, these issues stem from the low level of national identity among the people, limited patriotism, and many not even consider themselves Americans.
In this era, people of German, Irish, Italian descent, etc., are at the bottom of society and often face discrimination politically.
The entrenched interests of the upper echelons of society simply dont leave them room to rise. These immigrants often have to exert several times the effort to achieve the same rewards.
Given this situation, why should everyone still sacrifice for the federal government? Winning the war has nothing to do with them, but their lives would be at stake.
Hmmel could lure people away because he offered real monetary incentives: every immigrant heading to Central America received 50 hectares of free land with full property rights after 5 years of cultivation, plus 300 guilders in 2-year interest-free loans from the colonial government.
This is also why, within just a few months of establishing the Central American colonies, they incurred a loss of two million guilders.
President Lincoln frowned and asked, Didnt we order the prohibition of any anti-war activities? Why has the anti-war movement still developed?
Secretary of State Seward explained: This prohibition is only being enforced by half of the federal states. The Western states believe it violates the Constitution and goes against the spirit of liberalism, so they refused to comply with this law.
Lincoln was troubled. In this era, each of Americas federal states was like an independent mini-kingdom, often in conflict with the federal government.
Even though he had support from capitalists behind him, because everyone had different interests, American capitalists also divided into different interest groups.
Generally speaking, the East was strong while the West was weak. Most of the major financial groups were concentrated in the eastern coastal states, controlling the vast majority of Americas wealth. Meanwhile, the capitalists in the West mostly depended on them.
When the civil war broke out, driven by their own interests, capitalists in the West wished they could destroy the East Coast, break free from their shackles, and gain greater benefits.
They didnt dare to confront them directly, but undermining them from the shadows was fair game. Whenever trouble arose, theyd rely on foreign powers for support. After all, the positions of Britain, France, Austria, and Spain were well-known, and they didnt mind taking the blame.
Internal troubles were far more troublesome than external ones. Political intervention from foreign countries was only effective when there were collaborators within the country.
If there werent people within the United States waving flags and cheering, unless Britain, France, Austria, and Spain directly intervened with military forces, it wouldnt even be considered a problem.
Lincoln hinted, saying, Send someone to communicate with the governments of the Western states. Regardless, we must ensure an adequate number of troops. The federal government is facing its most critical moment. If we suffer defeat due to insufficient manpower, nobody will have good days ahead.
Clearly, this was directed at those who were undermining the war effort. It implied that they shouldnt push their luck too far and should consider the bigger picture while undermining their competitors.
Raising tariffs to protect the domestic market and abolishing slavery to obtain cheap labor were common interests shared by most capitalists.
If the federal government lost the war, the Souths cheap raw materials and markets would all be lost. Without these, nobody would have a good life in the end.
This was the aftermath of the butterfly effect. The Confederacy gained three states, and the Union lost the same three. The balance of power was inevitably changed.
The first challenge to face was the issue of manpower. Faced with a more severe situation than in history, the shortage of troops became a problem for the federal government.
The support of troops from the Western states became particularly important. Without the support of these states, the manpower advantage of the Northern government would no longer exist.
With armies of similar sizes, the Northern army couldnt necessarily defeat the South. The quality gap could only be compensated by quantity for now.
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