What 1778 treaty formally created the wartime military alliance between France and the United States?

The Treaty of Alliance of 1778 formally created the wartime military alliance between France and the United States.

Representatives of King Louis XVI and the Second Continental Congress signed the treaty in Paris on February 6, 1778. Benjamin Franklin, Arthur Lee, and Silas Deane signed for the United States, while Conrad Alexandre Gérard signed for France. The agreement followed a separate Treaty of Amity and Commerce signed the same day.

The alliance promised French military support if Britain attacked France because of the new relationship. It also required the United States and France to avoid making a separate peace with Britain. French troops, naval forces, weapons, uniforms, and financial aid later became critical to the American war effort.

The treaty is often confused with the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War and recognized American independence. France’s formal military commitment came earlier, through the 1778 alliance. The agreement was eventually annulled by Congress in 1798 amid tensions with revolutionary France.