Vergennes: The Man Behind the Yorktown Victory,
Abstract
General George Washington was well aware of the pivotal role the French army and navy had played in the battle of Yorktown. He also know that French supplies had sustained his ragged army for almost five years. Without that support Continentals might have succumbed long age. Despite his debt, Washington may have given little thought that day to the man who, more than any other, was responsible for the decisive French contribution to the American Revolution, Comte Charles Gravier de Vergennes, Minister of Foreign Affairs to Louis XVI. Shrewd and single minded, Vergennes had made the victory possible by combining skillful diplomati maneuver and political opportunism to orchestrate French intervention while avoiding a premature confrontation with Great Britain. But paradoxically, from the perspective of France his accomplishments were for naught since they failed to achieve his goals.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 04, 1982
- Accession Number
- ADA122065
Entities
People
- Richard B. Rothwell
Organizations
- Naval War College