War elephants<span> played a critical role in several key battles in antiquity, but their use declined in the Middle Ages. With the spread of firearms in the early </span>modern period<span>, military </span>elephants<span> were restricted to non-combat engineering and labour roles, and some ceremonial uses.</span>
The bottom will be C "Unionists supported secession as a last resort and only if it was done with full support of all of the southern states, while Secessionists opposed secession altogether.