INTERVIEW: The Peace That Almost Didn’t Happen

The Civil War didn’t end the way you think.

Historian Michael Vorenberg joins Why Wars Happened to reveal the secret peace talks, Lincoln’s hidden struggles, and the fragile deals that almost broke before Appomattox.

⏱ Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to Why Wars Happened

00:46 – Meet Michael Vorenberg

01:02 – Lincoln’s Peace and the Fight to End the War

01:32 – The Challenges of Declaring Peace

02:39 – The Hampton Roads Conference

07:35 – The Confederacy’s Diplomatic Efforts Abroad

11:04 – Confederate Ties to the Mexican Civil War

17:00 – Economics and the War’s End

18:14 – Post-War Reflections & Debates

18:41 – Defining the End of the Civil War

20:14 – The Appomattox Surrender and Its Impact

22:04 – Sherman’s Controversial Surrender Terms

25:20 – Comparing Military Strategies Across History

29:06 – How Lincoln’s Assassination Changed Everything

31:46 – Michael Vorenberg’s Upcoming Book on Military Prisons

35:08 – Closing Thoughts

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