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SamIam · 12-20-2011, 11:13 AM

Well, sure, the French were helpful for reasons of their own. But their contribution bares no comparison with US involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, etc., etc., ad nauseum. France did NOT turn up with a big army and land in the colonies to inform them that they were going to have a revolution now because France thought it was a cool idea. Colonial America decided on its own to break with the British. This is what I was trying to get at.

Also, I have read that the 13 colonies would have gained their freedom with or without France. French participation simply meant that the war ended sooner than it might have otherwise done. I don't know what the consensus of the historians is, though.

12-20-2011, 11:13 AM	#6
SamIam Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Not here Posts: 2,655	Well, sure, the French were helpful for reasons of their own. But their contribution bares no comparison with US involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, etc., etc., ad nauseum. France did NOT turn up with a big army and land in the colonies to inform them that they were going to have a revolution now because France thought it was a cool idea. Colonial America decided on its own to break with the British. This is what I was trying to get at. Also, I have read that the 13 colonies would have gained their freedom with or without France. French participation simply meant that the war ended sooner than it might have otherwise done. I don't know what the consensus of the historians is, though. Last edited by SamIam; 12-20-2011 at 12:10 PM.