The Vicksburg Campaign is described as a triumph of which combination of principles?

• A. Maneuver, offensive, economy of force, and combined arms with Navy
• B. Mass and surprise
• C. Economic warfare and blockade
• D. Defensive fortification and attrition

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is the effective blend of maneuver, offensive action, economy of force, and joint action with naval forces. In the Vicksburg Campaign, Grant broke the Confederates’ strong defensive posture by a bold maneuver along the Mississippi, crossing at Bruinsburg and moving inland to approach Vicksburg from the west. This was a purposeful offensive effort to seize a pivotal river city rather than a defensive stand or purely attritional fighting.

Economy of force is shown in how Grant concentrated enough force at the decisive point to compel surrender, rather than throwing all his available troops into a broader, protracted set of engagements. The campaign also embodies combined arms with Navy: Army and river gunboats worked together to control the river, support troop movements, and bombard fortifications during the siege, which isolated Vicksburg and enabled the city’s capitulation.

The other options don’t fit as well because they emphasize mass and surprise, or economic warfare and blockade, or defensive fortifications and attrition, whereas the Vicksburg operation centers on a coordinated, offensive, maneuver-driven effort that leverages naval power to achieve a decisive objective.