King Cotton Diplomacy

King Cotton Diplomacy was the Southern Confederate strategy during the American Civil War, aimed at leveraging cotton exports to gain international support, especially from Britain and France. The Confederacy believed that withholding cotton from European markets would create a supply shortage, prompting these nations to favor the Confederate cause by providing aid or recognizing independence. However, this plan largely failed because Europe had alternative cotton sources and was less reliant on Southern exports than anticipated. The strategy highlights how economic leverage was used as a diplomatic tool during wartime, even if it did not achieve the desired political outcomes.