AMSCO AP United States History Exam (APUSH) – Period 5 Practice Test

The method used by Union forces that involved destroying civilian infrastructure and resources during the Civil War is known as Total War. This military strategy aimed to undermine the enemy's will to fight by targeting not only their military capabilities but also the economic resources and the civilian population that supported the war effort. A notable example of this approach was General William Tecumseh Sherman's March to the Sea, where his army systematically destroyed railroads, crops, and other supplies essential for sustaining the Confederate war effort.

Total War effectively blurs the lines between combatants and civilians, as it seeks to eliminate the means by which an enemy can sustain its military operations. This strategy was employed by Union forces to demoralize Southern civilians and hasten the end of the conflict by demonstrating the Union's overwhelming power and resolve. The destruction of infrastructure was seen as a way to pressure the Confederacy into surrendering more quickly, thus shortening the war and saving lives in the long term.