Confederate Capital in Montgomery?

Hey guys! So its a pretty simple PoD (please correct me if it has already been done) that I thought up with a friend, but I think it would interesting to write a timeline on. The title reveals what the PoD is of course. So what do you think would have happened if the CSA never moved their capital to Richmond?

Obviously the eventual outcome of the war probably would not be different, but many of the individual battles and the major strategies would have been quite different.
 
As I recall, moving the capital to Richmond was one of the factors that helped sway Virginia into joining the Confederacy. A Virginia-less CSA would be a pretty significant change.
 
Having it not be in Richmond is a better question. Montgomery was horribly cramped and the Confederate politicians all hated it. Heres a better idea, place the capital in Columbia. Its in an easy spot from a defensive prospective, considering that its right next to the Appalachians and is easy to reach from a major city, Charleston.
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
There were many at the time who assumed the capital would remain at Montgomery. There was even a brief spurt of construction activity in the city on account of it.

Assuming the capital remains in Montgomery, the course of the war would have been quite different. Obviously, Virginia will still be one of the principal battlefields because it will still be the most populous state in the Confederacy and the most important from an economic point of view. But with the capital at Montgomery, we could well see a greater emphasis in Confederate strategy on the need to allocate resources to the Western Theater, and this would have been good news for Confederate prospects for victory.
 
There were many at the time who assumed the capital would remain at Montgomery. There was even a brief spurt of construction activity in the city on account of it.

Assuming the capital remains in Montgomery, the course of the war would have been quite different. Obviously, Virginia will still be one of the principal battlefields because it will still be the most populous state in the Confederacy and the most important from an economic point of view. But with the capital at Montgomery, we could well see a greater emphasis in Confederate strategy on the need to allocate resources to the Western Theater, and this would have been good news for Confederate prospects for victory.

That's doubtful. Stripping manpower away from Virginia makes it far more likely that Richmond and the all important Tredegar Iron Works fall within a year or two at most. This will hurt the Confederacy far more than buying some time in the West. Manpower favors the Union enough that it can easily shift men West (that and a better rail system makes it far easier logistics wise as well). Sure Vicksburg might hold out a bit longer, but that just gives the Union more time to built better river ironclads and gather men and material. The Confederacy will still be split and Sherman, or someone else, will still march to Atlanta by way of Montgomery.

Benjamin
 
But with the capital at Montgomery, we could well see a greater emphasis in Confederate strategy on the need to allocate resources to the Western Theater, and this would have been good news for Confederate prospects for victory.

So you think that more emphasis on the Western Theater would help the CSA, couldn't it alternatively be bad if they don't defend the east and lose Virginia?
 
More emphasis on the western theater would be true for the CSA, but it would also be true for the union, Before Winfield Scott's anaconda plan, some Northerners proposed a push through Tennessee, as well as one in Virginia and along the missisippi. With a major push through Tennessee(probable if the confederacy's capitol was around montgomery) the front in virginia might stay static. So the CSA might do just as well in the east(and probably wouldn't do two failed invasions of the north.) Of course, this POD would require backstory to explain why the confederacy has a much greater emphasis on the west than in OTL.
 

Kaptin Kurk

Banned
From a purely strategic point of view, I'm partial to an ATL were the capitol ends up in Atlanta, Georgia. How likely that is, while having the Confederacy maintian all its states I don't know (but I feel like begining of hostitlities will bring the tidewater south into the Confed, regardles), a Capitol in Atlanta removes alot of the urgency from the Eastern theater.

Richomond will remain key, but the Confeds might actually entertain industrial transfer and building sooner. Moreover, the Richmond vs Washington aspect greatly influenced Northern and Southern psychology. An Atlanta vs Washington fight, in restrospect, might have pushed Southern generals under pressure to more modern warfare thought sooner, i.e. Guerilla warfare vs hold every inch at all costs.

Although the important consideration isn't only the generals, but the Southern populace as well. Both north an South, the civilians tended to think of the Capitols as end all and be alls. if they're further apart, the civilians might not put as much pressure on govts intially, and southerns probably benefit from this.
 

mats

Banned
Maybe the capital could've been situated in a more defensible spot; although virginia was the most important state in the CSA, so what other concessions could they recive if they do not get the capitol?
 
Good Question

Maybe the capital could've been situated in a more defensible spot; although virginia was the most important state in the CSA, so what other concessions could they recive if they do not get the capitol?

That's a good question. It's not like Virginia only seceded because of the promise of the Capital, but yes a good concession must be found. Anyone have any ideas?
 
Will the Virginians fought with such tenacity to defend a CSA capital in another state ?

Will the Virginian generals, as Lee, Jackson, Stuart, Early, AP Hill could have the same career opportunities ?
 
well, the flip side applies as well. Would generals such as Mclellan,Hancock, and Meade fight with as much tenacity for the Union if there wasn't a confederate army, in virginia.
 
Will the Virginians fought with such tenacity to defend a CSA capital in another state ?

Will the Virginian generals, as Lee, Jackson, Stuart, Early, AP Hill could have the same career opportunities ?

Probably, there state is still being invaded and their state capital is just as important as the nation's (remember Robert E. Lee fought for Virginia not because he believed in Slavery or the CSA but because he decided that his number 1 concern was for Virginia.)

So guys, lets try and think of a good concession for Virginia that would replace the offer of the Capital. It's important that come up with one because it's might be the PoD or at least will be the direct result of the PoD
 
well, part of the reason the capitol was moved from the deep south is because the president was from the deep south(Davis). if some new southern president gets elected from Virginia after it secedes than the capitol might stay in the deep south.
 
Since the Confederacy defended both West and East pretty vigorously, I don't think the location would have made much of a difference, with one exception: Jefferson Davis might have been far less patient with Johnston's campaign of retreat if it were happening right in his back yard, so to speak, leading to an earlier-than-OTL sacking of the general. If Hood still succeeds to command, and he acts like the same Hood, the Union campaign in that region could have seen success some months earlier than it did.
 
Union Strategy?

It's surprising that Richmond was apparently promised as the Confederacy's capital after it became obvious it would secede (as opposed to the promise being used to sway Virginia). Therefore Virginia would have seceded with or without the capital. Virginia would still be the most important state in the Confederacy with the Tredeger Iron Works (as already mentioned) and the fact that Virginia would have supplied more troops than any other state. Also many of the generals such as Lee would have fought with just as much vigor as OTL.

So, this raises a new question. What would the Union's main strategy be? Would we see Union landings in Mobile, or a major push on the Western Theater? How much fighting would there be on the Eastern Theater?
 
Personally I always thought a capital in Chatanooga made the most sense. If it falls then the Confederate government could flee in pretty much any direction.
 
Personally I always thought a capital in Chatanooga made the most sense. If it falls then the Confederate government could flee in pretty much any direction.

Yeah, but the idea is that the Capital doesn't fall. It wouldn't make sense to put their because it's so close to the front. Although they did make the Capital Richmond... but still their really wasn't any incentive to place the Capital there.
 
From everything I've read the move to Richmond was more practical than anything else. As mentioned above the iron works were vital to the Confederacy and they thus had to defend them.

Consolidating the capital and the iron works meant one army could defend both.

Since you could not move the works, you move the capital
 
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