Who did the south believe Britain would support and why?

The South believed Britain would support the Confederacy during the American Civil War primarily due to their economic reliance on Southern cotton, which was vital for British textile mills. They assumed that Britain's need for cotton would compel it to intervene on behalf of the South. Additionally, many in the South thought that shared interests in trade and the preservation of slavery would further align British support with their cause. However, Britain's eventual stance was more complex, influenced by various political, economic, and humanitarian factors.