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The civil war was the only war to put Americans agaisnt Americans. Different opinions on which side was right was very personal and often tore families apart. it was not uncommon to serve on the Union side and find out a relative, such as an uncle, cousin, or even brother had fought on the Confederate side, and vice versa. The possibility of fighting your brother in battle gave it the name. Also, some referrred to fellow countrymen as their "brothers", and this war forced them to fight each other, which is another possible cause for the name.

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13y ago

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In the US Civil War, opinions on the issues that caused the war were deeply divided.

Some families were split, with one brother serving on one side and another serving on the other. Sometimes it was merely neighbors, friends, or in-laws who served on opposing sides.

The result was that the phrase "brother against brother" is sometimes used to describe the situation.

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11y ago
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Well the literal meaning is that actual brothers ended up figthing on opposite sides of the war. The figurative meaning is that as a nation we are considered brothers and so it was a war between brothers.

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Wiki User

13y ago
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Brother fought brother (brother killed brother). The Civil War was America fighting itself, if involved no foreign nation.

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14y ago
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The war divided families apart. Especially in the border states between the north and the south. Literally a son could be on the Union side while the father was on the Confederate side.

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14y ago
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Q: Why was the Civil War referred to as the brothers war?
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