Final answer:
The strategy of total war implemented by Grant and Sherman during the Civil War aimed to target the Confederate army and the civilian population of the South, disrupting their ability to wage war and demoralizing the enemy.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the American Civil War, Generals Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman implemented a strategy of total war that targeted not only the Confederate army but also the civilian population of the South. This strategy aimed to demoralize the enemy and disrupt the Confederacy's ability to wage war by destroying resources vital for the Southern war effort. This included burning crops, destroying railways, and confiscating supplies, which were essential to the Confederate army and also profoundly affected civilian life.
The Civil War marked the first time in modern history that total war was practiced on such a scale. The Union's goal was not just to defeat the Confederate forces in battle but to undermine the economy and will of the South. General Sherman's March to the Sea is perhaps the most notorious example of this practice, where his troops destroyed much of the infrastructure and resources of Georgia after capturing Atlanta.