Final answer:
The South's strategy during the Civil War focused on defensive war to maintain their territories and using their coastline to evade the Union blockade to sustain their economy and war effort.
Step-by-step explanation:
The South's strategy during the Civil War involved primarily defensive tactics. The Confederates had the advantage of fighting in familiar territory and capitalized on their knowledge of the terrain and their strong civilian support. Two specific strategies were:
- Conducting a defensive war and preserving their territories without the need to go on the offensive against the Union, thereby conserving resources and manpower.
- Exploiting the vast coastline for trade and supply movements to evade the Union blockade, attempting to sustain their economy and war effort despite Northern efforts to cut them off.
The Confederate States believed they could withstand Northern attacks due to their geography, defensive position, skilled leadership, and the simpler objective of survival, rather than conquest. While the South faced shortages in population and industrial capacity, their strong military leadership and the proficiency with firearms and horsemanship of their recruits were key components of their strategy.