France and the American Civil War, A Diplomatic History
Abstract
Stéve Sainlaude, associate professor of history at the University of Paris IV Sorbonne, provides an in depth look at the American Civil War from the French perspective. He challenges many older interpretations by American historians concerning France's motives during the conflict. He focusses on how Napoleon III, his diplomats, people and press viewed the possibility of French intervention. A key factor in the study concerns France's occupation of Mexico as part of the emperor's "Grand Design" to win national glory, regain international influence, protect monarchical and imperial regimes, and save the Catholic Latin Race from worldwide Anglo-Saxon domination. The author maintains that Napoleon III's occupation of Mexico would have been impossible without the South's secession and that initially the emperor believed an independent Confederacy would be the last barrier that could block Yankee domination of Latin America.
Faculty Members
- Bart Talbert - Salisbury University
Themes
- French perspective on the American Civil War
- Napoleon III's foreign policy
- Impact of the American Civil War on international relations
- Intervention in foreign conflicts
- Secession and its implications for foreign powers
- Geopolitical ambitions of France