The Civil War was one of the key moments in the history of the United States it had really changed the country and the basic principles of its policy both internal and external. It may be said that The Civil War was the starting point of real American democracy, as it is understood in contemporary terms.
Naturally, the Civil War did not occur by chance. On the contrary it had a number of causes that inevitably led the country to the war. Despite it was a national tragedy for people of the United States but probably it was the only way the contradictions of that time within American society could be really resolved, or at least it was the most effective way to do it.
Traditionally, among the causes of the Civil War are named slavery, contradictions between North and South, and economic retardation of South compared to North. Often historians add to the list external factors though in all probability they were not so significant as internal ones.
Generally speaking the causes of the war may be defined as socio-economic though they were also supported by political crises, namely the presidency of Abraham Lincoln served as a catalyst for Southern States to break relations with Northern states and finally it became a political cause of the war.
Nowadays there are a lot of discussions concerning the problem whether the Civil War could be avoided or not but in all probability the War occurred because it had to occur. The reason for such viewpoint is as follows: American society was full of contradictions both socio-economic and political and it was hardly possible to solve them peacefully because Southern states were hardly able to refuse from slavery, which was the basis of local economy and its elimination was equal to economic suicide of Southern states. At the same time Lincoln, being elected a legal president cannot betray those people who supported them and change his program to make peace with South. Consequently, the War was the only possible way out that could, but did not in fact, solve the problems American society suffered from.