General Robert E. Lee displayed a Jominian fighting style as he commanded the Confederate Army during the Civil War. His actions as a military commander was influenced by Southern President, Jefferson Davis’ political leadership, as well as General Lee’s military experiences and training. Repeatedly, General Lee sought to achieve limited political, strategic, and operational goals or objectives; by the using the Jominian principle of mass and concentration at the tactical level of war. This limited focus had a direct impact on how the Confederate Army was commanded. Additionally, it had an impact on how strategic and operational planning was conducted, and on the execution of the orders that were issued. This Jominian line of thinking was …show more content…
This limited objective was intended to keep the Union Army at bay until the people of the Northern states no longer had the will to continue the war. Destroying the Northern will to fight was the political end state General Lee’s military goals and tactics were expected to achieve. Instead of defensive warfare, General Lee executed a Jominian–style offensive campaign, resorting to the defense only to regroup his forces. During the execution of his Jominian–style offensive campaign, General Lee planned to conduct military engagements with the Union Army at strategic locations. At these locations he planned to use mass and concentration to defeat the Union Army in a decisive battle that would end the civil war. With this strategy General Lee would find tactical success in the Civil War, just as he had learned during the Mexican-American …show more content…
During Seven Days’ Battles at the Battle of Gaines’ Mill; General Lee used the mass of his army to push Union General Porter and Union soldiers off their position. General Lee would achieve a tactical victory when General Porter was forced to retreat. After being defeated during Seven Days’ Battles, Union Army General McClellan would abandon his plans to take Richmond. Resulting in General Lee achieving the specific and limited political goal of defending Richmond. Again at the Battle of Second Manassas, General Lee would successfully use the Jomini’s principles of momentum or initiative with mass and concentration at decisive point, to defeat the Union Army. Jomini’s principles of offensive warfare through mass and concentration at decisive point became engrained in General Lee’s