Chapter 334: Chapter 21: The Anti-War Movement in the United States
 

Washington, the Federal government is organizing an evacuation. As the front lines continue to suffer defeats, the flames of war have reached the nation’s capital.

Maryland ultimately failed to halt the advance of the Southern Army, with too many dragging their feet, and in the face of both internal and external troubles, even the most valiant efforts of the Federal Army were in vain.

Moreover, the Federal government had too many places to defend. In comparison, Washington’s greatest value lay in its political significance, while the Great Lakes region was the core of the Federal government.

It could be said that as long as the Great Lakes industrial area was not lost, the Federal government would have the leverage to suppress the rebellion. Otherwise, the war simply could not be fought.

President Lincoln asked cautiously, “General Grant, I need a definite answer, can Washington be held?”

General Grant, a federal general who had risen to prominence rapidly because of the war, had led the Federal Army to its first major victory and had become the protagonist of the defense of Washington.

This was not an enviable assignment; with the Federal Army at a disadvantage, defending the capital was exceedingly difficult.

If other places were lost, so be it, as the Federal Army was already in retreat across the board, and the Federal government could not possibly hold anyone accountable.

The so-called historical generals had to succumb before superior strength, as those who were praised by posterity were often thoroughly beaten on the battlefield, and any occasional victory was due to luck.

It was not that their command was deficient, but that the execution capability of the Federal Army was inadequate.

A bunch of farmers and workers who had just put down their tools; many had received less than a month of training before being sent to the battlefield—their combat power was predictable.

Preventing the troops from collapsing mid-route was considered a feat worthy of a great commander. Leading such troops, it was natural to suffer defeat.

Of course, after several battles, the survivors, from green recruits to seasoned veterans, would improve their combat effectiveness. Historically, the Northern government trained its troops through war, then overwhelmed the South with superior numbers.

Under such circumstances, if one were to be held accountable for defeat, nobody would be willing to command the troops.

Only Washington was different; its political significance was too great, and if the capital was lost, someone would surely suffer for it.

Grant replied, “Your Excellency, I cannot give you an answer to that question. Whether Washington can be held depends on the enemy’s determination.”

The lack of a clear strategy was the biggest problem for the Southern Confederation Government. Because the interests of the member states varied, so did their strategic objectives.

To balance internal forces, the strategy of the Southern government resembled fighting on all fronts, failing to concentrate superior forces to strike decisively, squandering opportunities for victory.

Lincoln thought for a moment and said, “All right, you can make your requests. Whatever assistance I can provide, I will give to you.

In any case, you must hold Washington as long as possible, even if it means hiding in corners to fight street battles. As long as all of Washington is not lost, I can accept it.”

Using Washington as bait to attract the main forces of the Southern Army and to buy time for the Federal government to claim victory in the war.

These are all political slogans. Were there a choice, Lincoln most certainly would not do so. If the capital were lost, what credibility would he, the President, have left among the Federal States?

Grant thought for a moment and said, “The 50,000 reinforcements from West Coast California, Oregon, and the New Mexico area have yet to depart.

I sent telegrams urging the state governments, and apparently, they have yet to complete their enlistment tasks. Without this fresh force joining, Washington simply cannot be defended.”

Not every Federal State was actively participating in this war; the states of the West Coast, far from the battlefield, didn’t feel the same pressure. Additionally, with European countries exerting their influence, their enthusiasm for the war was naturally low.

President Lincoln asked, “Mr. Saffar, what’s going on?”

Secretary of State Saffar replied with a frown, “The population of the West Coast states is already quite small, and they have provided 150,000 soldiers to the Federal government. Most of the young men willing to serve have already come.

Not long ago, the Austrian Ocean-going Fleet made a visit to the West Coast states. Count Hummel met with many German descendants and encouraged them to leave America.

Many have already left, and now these people are using the anti-war movement as a pretext to resist being drafted into the Federal Army. In order not to give the Austrians a pretext for intervention, we can’t force them to serve.”

This then triggered a chain reaction, with many citizens across the West Coast region joining the anti-war movement, leaving the state governments unable to fulfill the enlistment tasks.

There are shadows of other European countries behind this. The headquarters of the anti-war movement is around foreign embassies, and at the slightest hint of trouble, these individuals take refuge inside the embassies.

To avoid causing a diplomatic conflict and prompting international intervention in the war, the state governments dare not act rashly.”

The Federal government promoted national unity, and European countries launched an anti-Civil War movement. This is a flaw of the United States system; whether it’s feasible or not, I will press you with righteousness.

The government failed to resolve conflicts peacefully, which is an indication of its incompetence, and opposing the Civil War is absolutely correct.

Many newspapers supporting the anti-war cause directly labeled Lincoln’s administration as the worst in American history, surpassing even James Buchanan.

Those who engage in verbal attacks don’t need to take responsibility, so naturally, they speak without restraint.

The anti-war faction came up with a bunch of plans that seemingly could resolve contradictions peacefully, but in reality, weren’t feasible. They criticized the Federal government’s inaction and accused it of being controlled by arms dealers, instigating the Civil War for profit.

Whether others believed it or not, the anti-war faction did. People who didn’t want to go to battle, who wanted to dodge the draft, believed it too.

Being a deserter would usually result in scorn, but opposing the Civil War carried no moral risk. Political correctness and public support even prevented state governments from pursuing legal responsibilities against them.

Ultimately, these issues boiled down to the public’s limited national identity and patriotic fervor; many didn’t even consider themselves Americans.

In this era, German, Irish, Italian, and other immigrants were at the bottom of society and often faced political discrimination.

The elite who held the upper echelons of society didn’t leave any room for them to advance. These immigrants often had to work several times harder to achieve the same rewards.

If that’s the case, why should they risk their lives for the Federal government? They gain nothing from a victory, yet the lives at stake are their own.

Count Hummel managed to entice people to leave because he offered a genuine promise: every immigrant who went to Central America would receive fifty hectares of land for free, gain full ownership after five years of continuous cultivation, and also a two-year interest-free loan of 300 Divine Shields from the colonial government.

This is why, within only a few months, the Central American Colony suffered a deficit of over two million Divine Shields.

President Lincoln, frowning, asked, “Didn’t we order a ban on all anti-war activities? Why then has the anti-war movement continued to grow?”

Secretary of State Saffar explained, “This decree is only being enforced in half of the Federal states. The western states think it violates the Constitution and the spirit of liberalism, and they refuse to enforce this order.”

Lincoln felt a headache coming on. During this era, each Federal State in the United States was like an independent small court, often defying the Federal government.

Even with the backing of capitalists, the divergent interests among them meant that American capitalists were divided into different interest groups.

Overall, there was a disparity between the strong East and the weak West; major trusts were concentrated in the East Coast states, controlling most of the country’s wealth, with Western capitalists largely dependent on them.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, capitalists in the West wished to tear down the East Coast to shake off their shackles and gain greater benefits.

Daring not to confront them directly, they weren’t afraid to sabotage things behind the scenes. If anything went wrong, they used the major powers as excuses, considering the well-known stance of the Four countries including the UK, France, Austria, and Spain; they didn’t mind shouldering the blame.

Internal troubles are far more troublesome than external ones. Political interventions from other countries are actually based on having internal support.

If no one within the United States were cheering them on, unless England, France, Austria, and Spain intervened with troops, it would hardly be a concern.

Lincoln said with an implied meaning, “Send someone to communicate with the governments of the western states. We must secure our troops at all costs.

The Federal government has reached its most critical moment; if we lose the war due to insufficient manpower, no one will have good days ahead.”

Clearly, this was addressed to those dragging their feet. He hinted that they should not get too carried away and, while dealing with their competition, consider the bigger picture as well.

Raising tariffs to protect the domestic market and abolishing slavery to obtain cheap labor were the common interests of most capitalists.

If the Federal government lost the war, the South’s cheap raw materials and markets would be gone. Without these, no one would have good days at the end.

This was the aftermath of the butterfly effect. The Southern Government gained three states while the Northern government lost three states, which altered the balance of power.

The first issue to face was manpower. Confronted with a situation grimmer than historically, the shortage of troops became a dilemma for the Federal government.

Reinforcements from the western states were especially crucial; without the support of these states, the Northern government’s manpower advantage would vanish.

With equal numbers in military forces, the Northern Army couldn’t beat the Southern. Now, the Federal government could only make up for the quality gap with quantity.