The Union Army had something to do with it: General Lee's plan at Gettysburg and why it failed

<p>The question considered is what General Robert E. Lee’s plan for the battle of Gettysburg actually was, and why he fought the battle the way he did, based on a reexamination of extensive commentaries left by the participants in the battle.</p> <p>General Lee believed that the Confederacy could not outlast the Union but had to win battles to cause the Union to abandon the war. This was one purpose of the invasion of the North. An initially favorable opportunity arose at Gettysburg. Despite some setbacks, Lee was encouraged and kept attacking. His plans failed because the Union Army had so weakened the Confederates that, on the third day, Lee’s subordinate commanders did not show their usual initiative and a pitifully small percentage of the army was involved. Accordingly, the attack failed, no victory to discourage the North took place, and attrition eventually led to the inevitable logical conclusion.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

History and Philosophy

Year

2008

Author dc:creator

• Mengel, Paul

Contributors dc:contributor

• Steven J. Ramold, PhD, Chair
• Robert Citino, PhD
• John G. McCurdy, PhD

• Lee
• Robert E. (Robert Edward)
• 1807-1870 Military leadership
• Gettysburg
• Battle of
• Pa.
• 1863
• Gettysburg Campaign
• United States History

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.emich.edu/theses/206

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.emich.edu:theses-1205