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What did British officers think of the American civil war as it was happening?

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Re: What did British officers think of the American civil war as it was happening?

#41

Post by digisign »

nostromo wrote: post #14
sillyquiet wrote: post #9

I think the real answer and probably why the article is a bit light on actual anecdotes, is that Britain or its military at the time probably didn't think much of it all, especially from a military point of view. Plus they were super busy with imperial concerns, especially in the British Raj post-1857 rebellion. The U.S., although gaining steam economically (pun intended), was still a backwater, rural, nation isolate…

The US economy overtook the UK's right around the civil war. That's also around when the US population overtook the UK's. They may have not thought much about the war, but it wouldn't be because the US had a small economy or population.

Would have taken quite a while to be noticed, given the speed of communication and lack of American military presence overseas. Compared to the British Empire.

Re: What did British officers think of the American civil war as it was happening?

#43

Post by JoeAltmaier »

mistrial9 wrote: post #31
JoeAltmaier wrote: post #13

After the war I'm sure they took note. The US Army of the North was then the largest army in the world. That had to be concerning. Second place? The US Army of the South.

without facts, I would expect some central Asian horse army to have 200,000 humans, far earlier than that.. Persian and Egyptian armies were large at different times too.. sounds uninformed..

Really? In 1865? Which one of those was in existence and larger?

Re: What did British officers think of the American civil war as it was happening?

#44

Post by jessaustin »

bombcar wrote: post #16
JoeAltmaier wrote: post #13

After the war I'm sure they took note. The US Army of the North was then the largest army in the world. That had to be concerning. Second place? The US Army of the South.

Luckily the US Navy wasn't doing so hot, and so the only real places to get worried were Canada and Mexico, as neither army had worked out how to walk on water.

Japan completely transformed their society, largely in response to a visit from that navy.

Re: What did British officers think of the American civil war as it was happening?

#45

Post by tmp_anon_22 »

Hayvok wrote: post #37

The Civil War in America absolutely dominated the British national conversation, especially in the early years of the war. Politicians followed the conflict closely, and there were even several debates in Parliament over British policy toward the conflict. Frequently discussed was a line that a lot of Americans would recognize today, of "when should Britain get involved??" because of the destructiveness of the confli…

If you feel inclined | knowledgeable could you expand on any English economic turmoil as a result of the American Civil War. All that American Cotton not feeding the British industry must have hurt a lot.

Re: What did British officers think of the American civil war as it was happening?

#46

Post by digisign »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #43
mistrial9 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

without facts, I would expect some central Asian horse army to have 200,000 humans, far earlier than that.. Persian and Egyptian armies were large at different times too.. sounds uninformed..

Really? In 1865? Which one of those was in existence and larger?

Asia has held the bulk of human population for quite a long time.

Re: What did British officers think of the American civil war as it was happening?

#47

Post by philistine »

cperciva wrote: post #3

Not mentioned: Towards the end of the Civil War, British officers became very concerned that the large and now experienced army might turn its attention North, as they had some 50 years prior. The Civil War was thus a direct catalyst for Canadian confederation.

A direct American invasion was not a catalyst for confederation. Expansion westward was seen as vital, and America’s rapid growth made the endeavour even more vital, lest American immigrants seize Canadian land.

No one feared the American army would turn north. They could have crushed Canada, but peace between Canada and the US was seen as assured as long as the UK wanted it.

Re: What did British officers think of the American civil war as it was happening?

#48

Post by francisofascii »

> What did British officers think of the American civil war as it was happening?

Go to the source.

Here is a book written by Sir Arthur James Lyon Fremantle, a British officer who traveled with the Confederate army in 1863. He is well known due to appearing in the movie Gettysburg based on The Killer Angels book. Three Months in the Southern States: April, June, 1863. https://docsouth.unc.edu/imls/fremantle/fremantle.html

Re: What did British officers think of the American civil war as it was happening?

#49

Post by caublestone »

Hayvok wrote: post #37

The Civil War in America absolutely dominated the British national conversation, especially in the early years of the war. Politicians followed the conflict closely, and there were even several debates in Parliament over British policy toward the conflict. Frequently discussed was a line that a lot of Americans would recognize today, of "when should Britain get involved??" because of the destructiveness of the confli…

Don’t forget Russia sending ships to America in support of the union. The letters between tsar Alex and Lincoln are some of the loveliest pieces of writing and highest praises for America.

http://beam-inc.org/abraham-lincoln-and-tsar-alexander-ii-pa...

Re: What did British officers think of the American civil war as it was happening?

#50

Post by corrral »

Hayvok wrote: post #37

The Civil War in America absolutely dominated the British national conversation, especially in the early years of the war. Politicians followed the conflict closely, and there were even several debates in Parliament over British policy toward the conflict. Frequently discussed was a line that a lot of Americans would recognize today, of "when should Britain get involved??" because of the destructiveness of the confli…

> 5. Britain nearly declared war on the Union (Trent affair), to the point that Royal Navy was just waiting for the go-signal to commence hostilities & Britain sent thousands of additional troops to Canada.

I wonder how much the Union's need to hedge against British intervention—so, to divert resources away from the war against the South, affecting troop placement, artillery availability, fortification building/maintenance/garrisoning, and fleet positioning—prolonged the war.

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