Which general is recognized for his strategy that involved total war during the Civil War?

General William Sherman is recognized for his strategy of total war during the Civil War, particularly illustrated in his famous "March to the Sea." This strategy aimed not only to engage enemy forces but also to cripple the infrastructure and economy of the South, thereby diminishing its ability to sustain the war effort. Sherman believed that through destroying resources, railroads, and civilian property, he could hasten the end of the conflict. His approach intended to break the will of the Southern populace and support the Union's military objectives.

This concept of total war was significant as it marked a shift from traditional warfare, where only combatants were targeted, to focusing on broader strategic goals that involved the civilian infrastructure and morale. Sherman's tactics, which included widespread destruction across Georgia and the Carolinas, forced the Confederacy to confront its vulnerabilities and ultimately contributed to their defeat in the Civil War.

Other generals, while influential in various aspects of military strategy or engagement, did not employ total war in the same manner. Their approaches were typically more conventional or focused directly on battlefield victories without the extensive, systematic approach to disrupting civilian support for the enemy that defined Sherman’s campaigns.