Which French commander led the French army alongside George Washington at Yorktown in 1781?

Comte de Rochambeau led the French army alongside George Washington at Yorktown in 1781.

Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, commanded the French expeditionary force sent to support the American Revolution. His troops landed at Newport, Rhode Island, in 1780 and later joined Washington’s Continental Army in the campaign that moved south toward Virginia.

At Yorktown, Rochambeau worked with Washington to coordinate the allied siege. French soldiers formed a major part of the besieging force, while French naval operations under the Comte de Grasse helped close the Chesapeake Bay. The alliance gave the American side manpower, artillery, and maritime support that the Continental Army could not easily provide alone.

Rochambeau is often confused with two other French figures in the Yorktown campaign. The Marquis de Lafayette commanded American forces in Virginia, while the Comte de Grasse commanded the French fleet. Rochambeau was the senior French land commander and remained an important symbol of the Franco-American alliance.