Final answer:
For the Confederates, a strategic defensive posture leveraging territorial advantages and hoping to extend the conflict would be key, while the Union would benefit from total war tactics to undermine the South's resource and supply capabilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Strategies for the Confederate and Union War Efforts
When considering the Confederate war effort, the key strategy would likely involve capitalizing on the defensive advantages of the South. With a vast amount of territory and the need to merely repel northern aggression rather than conquer lands, a defensive strategy prioritizing the most strategic points, like Richmond, would be crucial. Skilled military leaders from West Point would plan defensive battles that leverage the knowledge of the terrain and support from the civilian population. Additionally, it would be important to extend the length of the war, hoping for political change or lack of will from the North to continue the conflict.
In contrast, for the Union strategy, leveraging its industrial capacity and larger population would be key. A strategy of total war, as actually adopted later in the conflict, strikes at the South's ability to sustain itself by targeting not just military assets but also resources and infrastructure that support the enemy's war effort. Disrupting supply lines and utilizing the naval blockade would be crucial to limit the Confederacy's ability to trade and acquire necessary supplies. Political measures, such as the Emancipation Proclamation, would also play a role in undermining the South's social and economic foundations.
The knowledge of how the war played out does influence these proposed strategies. The Union eventually turned to total war and it proved effective. Recognizing the prolonged nature of the conflict and the substantial resources of the North would shape a Confederate strategy focused on enduring and outlasting, rather than outright victory on the battlefield.