Sherman Closes in on Savannah - HISTORY

Union forces assault Fort McCallister, the key to Savannah and the final obstacle along General Sherman's march to the sea.

FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

RELATED CONTENT

During the infamous 285-mile "March to the Sea," General William Tecumseh Sherman burns buildings, twists train tracks, and tramples the Georgian countryside in this scene from "Bloodbath."

Union General William T. Sherman was reviled throughout the South as a monster, but his real legacy contradicted his myth.

General Sherman cuts the rail lines around Atlanta and captures the key Southern city, bolstering public opinion in the North as Lincoln prepares for re-election.

Two unlikely leaders, Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman become the most essential Union commanders in the Civil War.

With almost 50,000 manufactured during World War II, the M4 medium tank, popularly known as the "Sherman," provided critical armored support to Allied ground troops.

How close was Hitler to launching a nuclear attack against the Allies in World War II? After developing a V2 ballistic missile capable of reaching as far a New York, Hitler made nuclear development his highest priority. On December 3, 1942, the first atomic pile went critical, and maintained a self-contained nuclear chain reaction. This was key in the development of an atomic bomb; however, the Manhattan Project was far from reaching its goals. The Germans had no long range bomber so they moved ahead in ballistic missile development. In May 1943, the A4 missile was successfully demonstrated, making Hitler's highest priority nuclear development. Because nerve agents like tabun and sarin were unreliable, nuclear weapons were the best alternative. Paul Harteck created a low energy nuclear reactor, a major step in Hitler's plans. When the warhead landed, a cloud of dust would arise, spreading death over the area for weeks. If plutonium was put into the warhead, the land would be contaminated for years. However, Hitler's plans failed with the invasion of Normandy, making this the least known close call in modern history.

CLOSE

CLOSE

CLOSE

CLOSE