After the defeat at Gettysburg and the overrunning of Washington, nations all across the world began recognizing the Confederacy. This of course brought a series of Declarations of war by America on the countries that recognized the South(the Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Mexico, and Prussia). The countries forced into war with the U.S. felt that now the only option was subduing America. The Confederacy formed an alliance with Mexico with the terms that the territories of California, Arizona, and Nevada would be returned.