American civil war: I understand why secession happened and what led to it. But why did it have to lead to armed conflict and a full-out war? Why couldn't the south secede and leave it at that?
Hi, this (very lengthy) answer by u/Georgy_K_Zhukov found in the FAQ touches on why the Civil War happened and some of the important events building up to it. So may offer some insight to your question.