Which way to turn? Recent directions in writing about the American Civil War

The historiography of the US Civil War during the twenty-first century has pursued four directions or 'turns' - the operational, strategic, cultural and the 'dark'. The latter underlines the human cost of the war, death, disfigurement and suffering. It has adopted the British lan...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of strategic studies Vol. 46; no. 2; pp. 469 - 493
Main Author Holden Reid, Brian
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London Routledge 23.02.2023
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
American Civil War
Futility
Historiography
operations
Physical abnormalities
Sociocultural factors
strategy
suffering
tragedy
US Civil War
World War I
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Summary:The historiography of the US Civil War during the twenty-first century has pursued four directions or 'turns' - the operational, strategic, cultural and the 'dark'. The latter underlines the human cost of the war, death, disfigurement and suffering. It has adopted the British language of commemoration of the First World War in stressing the 'futility' of war. The essay explores the context of these 'turns' and assesses three significant contributions to the field which exemplify their strengths and weaknesses. The article contends that war is a multifaceted activity and is primarily about human beings. The effects of war on individuals and their combined influence on the culture of societies is key to understanding the nature of war. Consequently, the article argues against discussing the US Civil War through the medium of exclusive categories. Alternative approaches from different perspectives and directions should be encouraged. Necessity does not require 'turning' down one path while ignoring the others.
ISSN:0140-2390
1743-937X
DOI:10.1080/01402390.2022.2068263