What was Europe’s importance during the Civil War?

Essentially it was necessary for the South to get diplomatic recognition to put pressure on the north. It was also very necessary for them to import many items they used to import from the north from Europe if they were to survive, of which the most obvious (and notorious) were warships, built in Britain. In 1861 the Confederacy placed an embargo on cotton exports to put pressure on the British and French, whose textile industries depended on American cotton, and offered to lift it if the two countries would recognise them. Napoleon III of France was willing to if Britain would, but Britain, nervous about the Canadian border, the supply of wheat from the US and also philosophically opposed to slavery, refused to do so even though it caused considerable economic distress in Lancashire.

• supplied southern states with supplies
• allowed the construction of English shipyards confederate warships
• southern states grew cotton and exported abroad for profit - England and France needed this for their textile mills.

Selling arms and supplies to both sides, most European countries were involved in some way or another but Britain was probably the most important. Lots of arms and supplies went to both sides from Britain, including through blockade runners to the south but the major potential impact that Britain could have given to the war was through recognition of the Confederacy. In the end this did not happen but would not have been a total surprise if they had.

Europe was important during the Civil War as both the Union and the Confederacy sought diplomatic and economic support from Britain and France. The Confederacy hoped Europe's reliance on cotton would lead to intervention, while the Union worked to prevent European recognition of the Confederacy.