What did General Sherman intend to achieve with his march through Georgia?

General Sherman’s march through Georgia aimed to neutralize Confederate supply lines, which was a strategic military objective during the Civil War. Known as "Sherman's March to the Sea," this campaign from Atlanta to Savannah in late 1864 was intended to disrupt the South's ability to sustain its army. By targeting infrastructure such as railroads, warehouses, and telegraph lines, Sherman sought not only to diminish the Confederate military's operational capacity but also to break the will of the Southern populace. This tactic of total war aimed to hasten the end of the conflict by showcasing the vulnerabilities of the Confederate infrastructure and reinforcing the idea that the war could not be won through sheer resilience alone.

The other options are not aligned with Sherman’s strategies. Defending Union territories or providing support to Confederate troops contrasts sharply with his aggressive tactics aimed at dismantling the Confederacy. Establishing peace negotiations was not the objective of his campaign, which focused instead on applying pressure through aggressive military action.