What was the 1778 military alliance between the United States and France called?

The 1778 military alliance between the United States and France was called the Treaty of Alliance.

The treaty was signed in Paris on February 6, 1778, by American commissioners Benjamin Franklin, Arthur Lee, and Silas Deane, together with French representative Conrad Alexandre Gérard. It created a defensive military partnership during the American Revolutionary War and formalized French support for the American cause.

The agreement followed the American victory at Saratoga in October 1777, which persuaded France that the rebellion had a realistic chance of success. France supplied weapons, money, troops, and naval power. French assistance later proved especially important at Yorktown, where French land and naval forces helped force the surrender of Lord Cornwallis in 1781.

The Treaty of Alliance is often confused with the Treaty of Amity and Commerce, signed the same day. The commercial treaty established diplomatic and trading relations, while the Treaty of Alliance addressed military cooperation. The alliance eventually became defunct during the French Revolutionary period and was formally ended in 1800.