What did Germans do in the American Civil War?

The American Civil War split the United States in two, heralding four years of vicious conflict between the Confederate and United States of America from 1861-65. This story has frequently been told in history books, in songs, and on the big screen, but an element of that story less-frequently acknowledged is the huge role played by non-Americans, immigrants and other groups that came and fought in the famous battles of Antietam, Shiloh, and Gettysburg, for both the North and the South. In this video I'll be looking at the story of German soldiers in the American Civil War, immigrants that spoke German and came from areas that would later be united under the Prussian and German Imperial banner. They would go on to fight largely for the North, though some, particularly Prussian adventurers also fought for the South. Germans, after Irish-born soldiers, made up the largest body of "foreign" troops in the Union Army. The American Civil War was also keenly followed by Prussian military strategists, ready for their own wars of conquest against the old powers of Europe in the years to come.

Music Used:
1812 Overture - Tchaikovsky
Hungarian Rhapsody - Franz Liszt
William Tell Overture - Rossini
Sunday Dub - Kevin MacLeod

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