France and the American Civil War: A Diplomatic History

France's involvement in the American Civil War was critical to its unfolding, but the details of the European power's role remain little understood. Here, Stève Sainlaude offers the first comprehensive history of French diplomatic engagement with the Union and the Confederate States of America during the conflict. Drawing on archival sources that have been neglected by scholars up to this point, Sainlaude overturns many commonly held assumptions about French relations with the Union and the Confederacy. As Sainlaude demonstrates, no major European power had a deeper stake in the outcome of the conflict than France.

Reaching beyond the standard narratives of this history, Sainlaude delves deeply into questions of geopolitical strategy and diplomacy during this critical period in world affairs. The resulting study will help shift the way Americans look at the Civil War and extend their understanding of the conflict in global context.

Author: Stève Sainlaude
Publisher: University of North Carolina Press
Published: 03/11/2019
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.20lbs
Size: 9.50h x 8.60w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781469649948

Review Citation(s):
Choice 08/01/2019

About the Author
Steve Sainlaude is associate professor of history at the University of Paris IV Sorbonne.