See old Dixie go down in four minutes

Old Dixie being the antebellum South before the American Civil War (1861-1865), of course. This video shows the major battles and the effect they had on the lines between the North and the South. It doesn’t tell you anything about the background of the war, but Mr Scot Stevenson has been kind enough to sum up in German why it is so important. The little casualty box in the corner of the video tells its own story.

At around 3:30 minutes, Sherman starts his infamous march through Georgia. On my desk, I’ve got E. L. Doctorow’s The March waiting to be read, which I’m grimly looking forward to – the Civil War usually makes for very gripping reading experiences. In fact, the book that holds the record in making me cry the most is Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain with its thoroughly gut-wrenching ending. The film that was made from the novel is made just bearable by the sheer beauty of the main protagonists (throw Jude Law into the midst of a gory battle and he’s still looking good).