The primary objective of the Confederate Army during the Battle of Gettysburg was to defeat the Union Army.

General Robert E. Lee aimed for a significant victory on Northern territory to boost Confederate morale, stimulate enlistment, and possibly persuade European nations, especially Britain and France, to acknowledge the Confederacy. By overcoming Union forces, Lee intended to ease the strain on Virginia and compel the North to consider peace negotiations. However, the inability to secure this objective at Gettysburg represented a crucial turning point in the Civil War, resulting in a decline in Confederate aspirations.