Final answer:
The South expected support from Britain and France during the Civil War due to the disruption of cotton supplies, which were vital for European textile industries.
Step-by-step explanation:
The South expected support from Britain and France because the war disrupted their supply of cotton. The Confederate States of America, heavily reliant on cotton exports for its economy, anticipated that the need for cotton in British and French textile mills would encourage these nations to support the South during the American Civil War.
This support was expected in the form of both continued trade and diplomatic recognition. However, due to various factors including the Union blockade which made Southern trade difficult, and the development of alternative cotton sources by Britain in India and Egypt, this support did not materialize as the South hoped.
Britain's unwillingness to risk conflict with the North, an essential source of grain and a key market for British goods, also played a role in deterring British and French intervention on behalf of the South.