Figure 15.2 Global Comparison: European Cotton Imports, 1860–1870 In 1860, the South enjoyed a near monopoly in supplying cotton to Europe’s textile mills, but the Civil War almost entirely halted its exports. Figures for Europe’s importation of cotton from 1861 to 1865 reveal one of the reasons the Confederacy’s King Cotton diplomacy failed: Europeans found other sources of cotton. Which countries were most important in filling the void? When the war ended in 1865, cotton production resumed in the South, and exports to Europe again soared. Did the South regain its near monopoly? How would you characterize the United States’ competitive position five years after the war?