[wbarmy]

The North fought for what they considered their own best economic and political best self-interest.

The "North" was not some monolithic group with group think. In reality the war started because there were a lot of interests that coincided together to produce the war.

There were the abolitionists who wanted to end slavery. They had hoped to do it peacefully like in England, but when have Americans ever did anything important peacefully. They were a very significant, vocal and active group.

A second group were the Unionists, those who wanted the Union to stay together. They also would have been happy with peaceful reintegration, but the important thing was to keep the Founding Fathers dream alive.

There were the deconstructionists who wanted it in peices, again for personal gain.

Then there were the economic, political, and media interest who wanted a war. War made money for companies, it made careers for politicians and it made sales for newspapers.

My opinion, and only my opinion, was that Gen Lee was in this group. War gave him a chance at immortality, a chance to be in a righteous cause, a chance to shine. Lee might have been glad that war was terrible, but he was very fond of it.

[jeffersondem]

“War gave him a chance at immortality, a chance to be in a righteous cause, a chance to shine. Lee might have been glad that war was terrible, but he was very fond of it.”

That is an interesting comment.

I have previously heard criticisms of Lee - Lee was a fascist; Lee was a Nazi; Lee was a Marxist; Lee did not support homosexual marriage.

I believe you are the first I can remember to say Lee was fond of war.

Because of chronological complexities your opinion can not be the result of direct observation; it must come from something you have read.

Can you cite information that indicates Lee was vainglorious; that Lee was fond of war? Perhaps your opinion is based on something General Eisenhower said.