1850 American Gold Tycoon.

Chapter 630 Comparison of Strength

There is no doubt that at this time, the strength of the north in multiple dimensions is far stronger than that of the south and west.

In terms of population, as of the end of February 1861, the north had a total population of more than 2 million, the south had a total population of 2300 million, and the effective population that the western regime could control was about 1050 million (including 520 million Mexicans).

At first glance, it seems that the population gap between the Confederacy and the North is not very different. However, because the South practiced slavery, among the 1050 million people, more than 450 million were black slaves and slaves from Southeast Asia and Japan. .

The number of freedmen in the South, that is, the population that could be mobilized and turned into war potential, was only 600 million. This figure was only slightly higher than that in the West, and only a little more than a quarter of the total population in the North.

In terms of industrial output value. The north has a large-scale industry with an annual industrial output value of US$17.3 billion.

After the development of two five-year plans, the west has initially established a relatively complete and self-sufficient industrial system. However, in terms of industrial volume, it is still unable to compete with the north. The industrial output value of the west is US$5.5 million.

The industrial output value of the South is 2.5 million US dollars, which is not even half of that of the West, let alone compared with the North. The industrial output value of New York State alone in the North has exceeded that of the South.

Industrial cities are everywhere in the north, including developed industrial cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, Detroit, Chicago, and Pittsburgh, as well as countless small and medium-sized industrial cities. In the west, there are also three large industrial cities, Jinshan, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, as well as Portland, Liangzhou City, San Diego and other small and medium-sized industrial cities.

The only cities in the South that can be called industrial cities are Richmond, Houston, and Austin. Compared with the large industrial cities in the north and west, Richmond, Houston, and Austin are only medium-sized cities at best. As for New Orleans, the largest city in the South at this time, it was not an industrial city, but could only be regarded as a commercial city.

In terms of manufacturing facilities (including factories and small handicraft workshops), there are 11.8 manufacturing facilities in the north, 3.3 industrial facilities in the west, and only 2.1 industrial manufacturing facilities in the south.

Among them, many of these in the south rely on the technology and professional workers provided by the north or west to function properly. If the connection with the north and west is completely cut off, it would be lucky if only a quarter of the 2.1 industrial facilities in the south can remain in normal operation.

In terms of industrial workers, there are 142 million industrial workers in the north, 38 industrial workers in the west, and only 18 industrial workers in the south.

In terms of steel production, the annual steel production in the North was 1860 million tons in 136 (of which the annual steel production in Pennsylvania alone was as high as 60 tons), the annual steel production in the West was 43 tons, and the figure in the South was less than 5 million tons, not even a fraction of the northern steel capital Pittsburgh (the steel output of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is 27 tons).

In terms of railway mileage, the northern railway mileage is more than 25000 miles, the southern railway mileage is 11000 miles, and the western railway mileage is 7600 miles.

In terms of urbanization rate, the urbanization rate in the north is 35%, in the south is 8%, and in the west is 44%.

Even in the agricultural field that the South is proud of, the South is not as good as the North. Of course, the agricultural output value of the South is still much higher than that of the West. After all, the South grows high-value cash crops. The number of farms in the south is only one-half that of the north, and the agricultural output value is less than one-half that of the north.

In terms of crop types, the north mainly grows wheat, vegetables, fruits and other food crops, the south grows cash crops such as cotton, tobacco, cane sugar, and the west grows everything.

Because cash crops have occupied a large amount of agricultural land in the South, although the South claims to have developed agriculture, it cannot even be self-sufficient in food and bread, and needs to export cash crops in exchange for wheat. In this regard, the south is not even as good as the western region. The western region achieved food self-sufficiency at least four or five years ago.

In terms of the navy, the Northern Federal Government's navy has more than 8000 personnel and more than 0 ships of various sizes, including nearly cutting-edge steam warships. The South's naval strength is approximately , and only the Republic of Texas has a relatively high-quality green water fleet.

The above data includes the data of the Republic of Texas and the South. If Texas is excluded, the data of the Confederacy will only be uglier.

Of course, the south and west are not without any advantages over the north.

Among the top leaders of the three parties, Davis, the top leader in the south, and Liang Yao, the top leader in the west, have stronger military backgrounds than Lincoln, the top leader in the north.

Davis, the top leader of the South, graduated from West Point Military Academy, served in the regular army, participated in the Mexican-American War, and rose to the rank of brigadier general. During the Mexican-American War, Davis commanded the army and even served as the United States Secretary of War. Davis was friends with many generals and had great prestige in the military.

Liang Yao, the top leader in the west, was also a brigadier general before he led the three west coast states to secede from the Union. The Buchanan government also had the idea of ​​promoting Liang Yao to lieutenant general. This is recognized by the federal government. Although the federal government issued a statement not to recognize Liang Yao's rank of general, it still recognized Liang Yao's rank of brigadier general.

Liang Yao led his troops to participate in wars in the Far East and Southeast Asia, as well as the second U.S.-Mexico War and some local civil wars. He is the general with the most practical combat experience in the American military in recent years.

Lincoln, the supreme leader of the Northern Confederacy, had a lackluster resume in the military. Lincoln had served in the Illinois militia, the so-called Straw Heels, and had no experience in serving in a regular army, let alone a mid-level or senior officer command. Over the battle.

Although Lincoln also participated in actual combat, it was against native Indians. Compared with the glorious military resumes of Liang Yao and Davis, Lincoln's military achievements during his service were obviously not on the table.

Although Lincoln won the wrestling championship, it was only for the bravery of an ordinary man. Moreover, in terms of personal bravery, Davidson and Liang Yao are not inferior either.

Lincoln was a politician and orator, but not a military strategist. This was a common view at this time.

In addition, although the North has a crushing advantage over the South and West in terms of military and war potential, in terms of war preparations, the South and West are obviously more prepared.

America's important arsenals, military fortresses, and many naval bases are located in the South. After the Southern states announced their withdrawal from the Union, they quickly took control of these military facilities. By the end of February 1861, there were very few southern military installations controlled by the federal government.

It is estimated that after taking control of these military facilities, the South obtained more than 25 rifles, more than 500 large and small artillery pieces, and countless military items such as gunpowder and detonators.

The federal government's Department of War roughly estimates that the military facilities and related munitions occupied by the South are worth more than $3500 million.

Counting the weapons inventory already owned by the South, the South now possessed more than 43 standard rifles, nearly a thousand artillery pieces, and relatively sufficient ammunition.

Backed by a sufficient arsenal of weapons, the South had enough weapons to arm a powerful armed force in the early stages of the war, and enough ammunition to fight several large battles. In fact, the South did the same thing. During the 1860 election, many knowledgeable people in the South had already predicted that the Republican Lincoln would win the election. Military organizations across the South sprung up like mushrooms after rain with the support of local gentry. By the end of February 1861, the South had assembled a volunteer army of about 2 people.

South Carolina has provided military training to all men of service age in the state since 1848. It can be said that all men in the state are soldiers.

At this time, the number of organized military personnel in the north did not exceed 5, of which there were only more than regular troops.

At this time, the southern army was not only more numerous than the northern army, but also qualitatively superior to the northern army. The people of the South have always been fierce, and most of the soldiers in the South have participated in the two U.S.-Mexican wars, and have much richer actual combat experience than the northern army.

Although the industrial strength of the South is weak, since 1850, the South has attached great importance to the military industry and allocated a large amount of resources to the military industry.

The arsenal in Richmond can produce more than 7 firearms of various types annually when the supply of raw materials is sufficient and production is at full capacity. The arsenal in Austin can produce more than 35000 rifles per year. These two arsenals can basically produce Maintain the Southern Army's current needs for small arms.

Although the steel output of the Tridega Steel Plant in Richmond and the Steel Plant in Austin cannot be compared with that of the large steel plants in Pittsburgh and Witwatersrand, the steel produced from the factories is of high quality and can be used to make weapons.

Both the Richmond Arsenal and the Austin Arsenal had the ability to produce heavy artillery, but the Richmond Arsenal's technology for producing heavy artillery came from the North, while the Austin Arsenal's technology for producing heavy artillery came from the West.

It is a fallacy to say that the South cannot produce guns and bullets. It is not that the South does not have any industry, but that the South's industrial capabilities and potential are far inferior to those of the North.

If the South really cannot produce even a single gun or cannon, how can it afford to arm an army of millions? How can we engage in a fierce war with an industrial country in the north for four years? It is too shocking to say that an industrial country with a population of more than 600 million cannot defeat an agricultural country with only million free people in four years.

It is true that the South is an agricultural country, but it is not a classical agricultural country in the complete sense. It still has a small amount of industrial economy, but the industrial economy in the South is in a weak position in the economic structure.

As for the shortage of military supplies in the South, it was indeed a common phenomenon after the South was completely blockaded by the North from both sea and land directions in the middle and late stages of the war. However, in the early stages of the war, thanks to the military supplies stockpiled before the war and the occupied federal armory, the South still had relatively sufficient supplies.

As for the west, there are currently nearly 28000 regular troops in the west that can be put into combat at any time, and the junior militia in the west is also very abundant.

The West prepared for war earlier than the South, and it trained a considerable number of militiamen over the years. Although in terms of the amount of troops that can be mobilized, the west is not as good as the north and south. However, there are natural dangers in the Rocky Mountains and Cordillera Mountains in the western region. These natural dangers are worth a hundred thousand soldiers.

As long as the west does not take the initiative to march eastward and seize large-scale cities and territories, these forces will not be aggressive enough for the west, but they will be more than enough to protect themselves.

In terms of military industry, the output of weapons in the west is higher than that in the south, and the quality is better than that in the north.

Weapons produced in the West are synonymous with high-end goods in the United States, not to mention that the West has General Liang's M1857 rifles and Sacramento guns, which are advanced goods that are coveted by the U.S. military.

Even for the same Colt pistol, due to the strict management of the Sacramento Arsenal, more advanced equipment, and higher quality and enthusiasm of the workers, the Colt pistols produced by the Sacramento Arsenal are of higher quality than the original Colt pistols. Better and more popular in the market.

Currently, the Sacramento Arsenal is able to produce 320 long and short guns per day under normal circumstances and about 40 Sacramento cannons per month. And compared with the south, the raw material channels in the west are more reliable, and most of the raw materials can be obtained locally.

In the western armory, there are more than 1300 rifles in reserve, 840 machine guns in reserve, and 1857 cannons in reserve. Unlike the arsenals in the south, most of the guns stored in the arsenals in the west are advanced General Liang M23500 rifles and Sacramento guns. The most inferior weapons are also 1851 Walter M rifles that have been retired and sealed.

The Walter M1851 rifle is only equipped by a small number of elite troops in the Southern and Northern armies.

Therefore, in terms of equipment quality, the Western Army has a great advantage over the Southern Army and the Northern Army, which to a certain extent makes up for the disadvantage of the relative lack of military strength in the West.

In terms of generals, the quality of the western generals and southern generals is better than that of the northern army.

In the West, there were Liang Yao, Kruger, Elvis and other famous generals, while in the South, there were Davis, Robert Lee, Longstreet, the two Johnstons, the two Hills, Jackson, Beauregard and other famous generals.

At this time, most of the senior generals in the north were concurrently held by northern politicians, so the military quality of the senior generals in the north was relatively low. The most capable general in the north is Lieutenant General Scott, and the rest are mostly mediocre.

However, Scott was already over 70 years old and was obviously unable to personally command operations on the front lines like those young and powerful generals in the South and West.

In addition, the South also had cotton as its trump card. Cotton is the source of confidence and confidence for southerners. The South supplies more than two-thirds of the world's industrial cotton and is one of the most important raw material warehouses for European textile mills.

The South is convinced that they hold the trump card of cotton, which will bring them a great diplomatic advantage in order not to lose the South, a source of high-quality and low-cost raw materials. European countries, especially Britain and France with developed cotton textile industries, will surely stand firmly on the side of the Confederate States of America.

Cotton in the South is white gold. No cotton producing area in the world can replace the status of the South! This is the thought of most southerners, including southern elites and civilians.

The west also has petrochemical products, especially kerosene, a unique trade product, but the authorities in the west do not emphasize the role and status of kerosene in the same way that the south emphasizes the importance of cotton.

The Southerners pinned their best hopes for victory on white, soft cotton, while the Westerners did not pin their hopes on a single trade product.

(End of this chapter)