Why did the south lose the Civil War? The American civil war began in 1861 with a victory for the North. Over the four years the war lasted over half a million people died. The south had a much smaller army and navy, which was a significant factor to why the north won the war. The north was considered to be a powerhouse compared to the south due to the fact that the south only had a population of 9 million, whereas the north had 22 million at their disposal. Also, a huge percentage of the south was slaves and the owners of these slaves were very unlikely to arm them. Slavery was a major reason to why the union and confederacy divided and went to war. The south economically depended on slavery for farming, and the north did not. The south had absolutely no industrial capabilities to aid them during the war. In comparison the north had mills and factories where supplies could easily be produced, unlike the south whose industry was weak.
It is wise to consider both leadership parties and why it is an important factor to the outcome of the war. Lincoln is considered to be a far better leader than his opposite counter partner Jefferson Davis. Davis had many problems in his cabinet, which can be seen through the number of changes he made in his cabinet. The south did not have an effective government, which led Davis to be an inexperienced politician. Unlike Davis, Lincoln had control of a well-established government up north. Lincoln also had control of strong military force as well as a strong navy, this is said to be a major factor to why the south lost. You have to give some credit to the south; they did last four years against the favored union.
An example of Honest Abe's leadership was shown in his emancipation proclamation, which caused many in the south to doubt the institution of slavery. The proclamation also isolated the south from Europe and other foreign powers who shared belief in liberty and freedom.
