Civil war swords are well-known not only as the best functional swords but, also as excellent decorative blades which are made and modeled after various fighting weapons used by the military officials from around the globe. Before the technological and scientific advancements as well as the development of nuclear weapons, the civil war swords were used as the primary war weapons.
The civil war swords served as a significant symbol of authority. In addition, these swords were also utilized during the wars to direct soldiers on the battlefields. In this way, the civil war swords were used similarly to the directive wands of the conductors who lead the orchestras. I am sure that after reading the basics, you will be intrigued to read further about the historical significance of the civil war swords.
What is the Historical Background of the Civil War Swords?
In order to understand the significance of the civil war swords, one ought to know the historical background first during which the need for civil war swords arose. In the year 1861 when America had found its independence from the British Empire, an inner conflict arose within the American continent which threatened the possibility of its division. The North wanted to put an end to slavery; whereas, the South wanted to expand slavery since it allowed for cheaper labor and more production. During such times, the crisis between the South and the North came to a peak where a federal camp which was located in the state of South Carolina got violently attacked. Consequently, the American civil war was launched into American history.
What are the Civil War Swords?
The production of the civil war swords started somewhere near the 1830s. At first, sharp blades were manufactured when the knife smiths began to perceive the first hints for an impending conflict during the pre-war years. Not to mention the fact that many states had started to train their military while stacking them with the latest weapons, blades, and swords. According to a rough estimation, at least one hundred knife smelting companies provided the American market with the much-needed material for the manufacturing of the blades of the civil war swords. While manufacturing the civil war swords, the traditional shape and structure of the European-styled swords were copied.
During the tumultuous time, the standard weapons used in the American continent as well as around the globe were firearms. However, the loading and reloading mechanism of those firearms were nowhere as efficient as today. Specifically, during the close-body fights, the use of guns and forearms was useless and quite impractical. This is where the use of civil war swords came in handy; the civil war swords proved beneficial for deciding the destiny of the soldiers' lives on the battleground during critical moments when the use of firearms proved futile. In this way, the civil war swords served as the secondary weapons of the soldiers when firearms failed to do the needful job.
However, from a historical perspective, during the time of the American Civil War, the swords, knife blades, and lances were not as reliable during the combats. In fact, according to an analysis, out of 250 wounded soldiers, only one was wounded by the swords. A majority of the swords were used during honor duels and other personal combats. Not to mention the fact that the civil war swords served decorative purposes as well.
What are the Different Types of the Civil War Swords?
Without making this question a complex one, it is safe to state that the civil war swords can be divided into two categories; the first category comprises the civil war swords which are ready to be used on the battlefields for fighting purposes. The second category comprises the civil war swords which were used for ceremonial purposes. The ceremonial purposes included various occasions where the civil war swords were required, such as the recognition or bestowing of rank as well as authority; the bestowing of awards to the soldiers who had acquired a higher rank for their distinctive services. Nonetheless, those civil war swords which were categorized as battle-ready served no other purpose except genuine fighting and combat.
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