In this account, Britain did not materially back the Confederacy during the American Civil War. British sellers were willing to trade weapons with both sides, with more of that trade going to the Union. France was more sympathetic to the Confederacy, while British naval power constrained wider French intervention. Policy combined neutrality, commerce, strategic rivalry, and the political weight of slavery rather than forming an uncomplicated alliance with either belligerent.
Notable Point · 3:11:59-3:13:46
Britain, France, and neutrality in the American Civil War
British commerce dealt with both belligerents while slavery limited sympathy for the Confederacy, and Royal Navy power helped constrain wider French intervention.