leftyhunter
Brev. Brig. Gen'l
- Joined
- May 27, 2011
- Location
- los angeles ca
In several recent threads by @gem about Confederate blunders and critques on Davis one theme is that Davis made a huge blunder in appointing George Mason has the Confederate cheif unofficial diplomat to the UK and John Slidell to France.
Maybe that assesment is to harsh.
Mason and Slidell have huge caveats to overcome to gain foreign diplomatic recognition.
1. The Confederacy does not have a navy capable of defending its ports and sea trade lanes.
2. There is a major drought in the Ukraine which is Europes traditional source of grain. The UK alone will need U.S. imports to provide at least forty percent of its grain needs.
3. Cotton is vital but cotton can be obtained from British India, Egypt which is on good terms with the UK , smuggled cotton from the Confederacy, cotton grown in Union liberated areas i.e. the Islands off South Carolina and liberated Louisiana.
4.France has it's military tied up in Mexico.
5. The UK and France were in a recent war with Russia. Yes they won but it was not a particularly popular war and the British and French public is somewhat burned out on war.
6.Defending a slave republic is not particularly popular.
7. There is more money to be made trading with the U.S. then the Confederacy.
With all of the above hiw could even a master diplomat sell the idea of granting the Confederacy diplomatic recognition?
Leftyhunter
Maybe that assesment is to harsh.
Mason and Slidell have huge caveats to overcome to gain foreign diplomatic recognition.
1. The Confederacy does not have a navy capable of defending its ports and sea trade lanes.
2. There is a major drought in the Ukraine which is Europes traditional source of grain. The UK alone will need U.S. imports to provide at least forty percent of its grain needs.
3. Cotton is vital but cotton can be obtained from British India, Egypt which is on good terms with the UK , smuggled cotton from the Confederacy, cotton grown in Union liberated areas i.e. the Islands off South Carolina and liberated Louisiana.
4.France has it's military tied up in Mexico.
5. The UK and France were in a recent war with Russia. Yes they won but it was not a particularly popular war and the British and French public is somewhat burned out on war.
6.Defending a slave republic is not particularly popular.
7. There is more money to be made trading with the U.S. then the Confederacy.
With all of the above hiw could even a master diplomat sell the idea of granting the Confederacy diplomatic recognition?
Leftyhunter