Translated from the French.

Foreword / byDon H. Doyle -- Introduction -- Part I. The French position. The implementation of neutrality -- The emperor gets involved in the war -- The Entente Cordiale and American policy -- Part II. France's view of the South. Myth and reality -- The weight of the "peculiar institution" in diplomatic relations -- Napoléon III's "grand design" and the Confederacy -- Part III. The future lies in union. The future of the disunited states -- The South, a trade partner? -- The imbalance of power -- Conclusion.