Sherman believed that the civil war would end only if the confederacy's strategic, economic, and psychological capacity for warfare were decisively broken. sherman therefore applied the principles of scorched earth: he ordered his troops to burn crops, kill livestock, consume supplies, and destroy civilian infrastructure along their path.

what offers the best reasoning behind william tecumseh sherman's strategy of using "total war" to defeat the south?

a. the strategy of "total war" was needed to stop the confederates from trading with france and england.
b. sherman's men wanted revenge for the horrifying treatment of union soldiers in andersonville prison camp.
c. the destruction in georgia would be so complete that it would break the confederacy's will to continue fighting.
d. the invasion of georgia would lead to armed revolt by the slaves, which in turn would the union win the war.