Could the South have won the Civil War?To many, the very question seems absurd. After all, the Confederacy had only a third of the population and one-eleventh of the industry of the North. Wasnt the Souths defeat inevitable?Not at all, as acclaimed military historian Bevin Alexander reveals in this provocative and counterintuitive new look at the Civil War. In fact, the South most definitely could have won the war, and Alexander documents exactly how a Confederate victory could have come aboutand how close it came to happening. Moving beyond fanciful theoretical conjectures to explore actual plans that Confederate generals proposed and the tactics ultimately adopted in the wars key battles, How the South Could Have Won the Civil War offers surprising analysis on topics such as:How the Confederacy had its greatest chance to win the war just three months into the fightingbut blew itHow the Confederacys three most important leadersPresident Jefferson Davis and Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas Stonewall Jacksonclashed over how to fight the warHow the Civil Wars decisive turning point came in a battle that the Rebel army never needed to fight How the Confederate army devisedbut never fully exploiteda way to negate the Unions huge advantages in manpower and weaponryHow Abraham Lincoln and other Northern leaders understood the Unions true vulnerability better than the Confederacys top leaders didHow it is a myth that the Union armys accidental discovery of Lees order of battle doomed the Souths 1862 Maryland campaignHow the South failed to heed the important lessons of its 1863 victory at Chancellorsville How the South Could Have Won the Civil War shows why there is nothing inevitable about military victory, even for a state with overwhelming strength. Alexander provides a startling account of how a relatively small number of tactical and strategic mistakes cost the South the warand changed the course of history.From the Hardcover edition.