The Geopolitics of the American Civil War

March 16, 2016 Stanley and Arlene Ginsburg Lecture Series As the United States descended into the Civil War, it was already an important part of the world economy, and thus the crisis of the Union attracted a great deal of international attention. The two largest global powers of the era, France and the United Kingdom, each debated whether or how to intervene in the conflict in service of their own interests, while other states, firms, and individuals watched closely to see how the United States would resolve the debate over slavery—with all its political and economic implications for the international system—that had sparked the conflict. Meanwhile, Union efforts to blockade the Confederacy provoked international legal as well as military disputes, raising questions about global trade that helped shape modern maritime law. Join us as we discuss the world’s reactions to the Civil War, the foreign policies pursued by the Union and Confederacy, and their implications for both U.S. and world history.