The French political leadership, centered around Emperor Napoleon III, welcomed internal US strife as they resented the Monroe doctrine and wanted to expand their holdings on the American continent, especially by propping up the Mexican Empire under Emperor Maximilian (brother of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph). In this they had the support of Belgium (mostly due to Maximilian's wife Carlota being Belgian) and Austria.

The Austrians also profited by selling tens of thousands of their Lorenz muzzleloaded rifles to both sides.

While parts of the British elite were sympathetic to the southern cause, most if not all of Europe recognised that the south had seceded to protect their property - the slaves - and slavery was politically impossible to support in most of Europe. Britain especially was vehemently opposed to slavery, having enforced a unilateral ban on slave trade by its own during the earlier parts of the 1800s, making any open support for the confederacy poitically impossibel in Britain.

While the French political leadership might be sympathetic, the populace in general was not. Napoleon III considered openly supporting the south, but did not want to act without British support, which was not forthcoming.

The Austrians were involved in Mexico, but also profited from selling arms to both sides.

Sweden and Norway supported the north, being opposed to slavery and many immigrants marching right off the boat and to the nearest Union recruitment center, eager to the quick way to earning citizenship military service provided. The Homestead Act also allowed Swedes and Norwegians an easy way to advance from lower to middle class in the north.

The Russians supported the Union - both due to not liking the example a part of the nation breaking away in armed rebellion set for their own minorities (Poles, Finns, Circassians, Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Turkmenes and so on) and due to old and good relations with the Union - when the Polish revolt of 1863 threatened to re-ignite the Crimean War with British and French intervention, Russia sent a large part of her navy to the USA on a "diplomatic visit" to safekeep it from the British and French navies. A naval visit was usually a big diplomatic event and evenif the Russians had other motives with their fleet than just making nice, it did send a signal that Russia considered the north the proper government and that it considered its warfare in the south proper and jusified.