Which French general commanded the army that supported Washington at Yorktown?

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Comte de Rochambeau commanded the French army that supported Washington at Yorktown.

Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, led the French expeditionary force sent to North America in 1780. His troops joined the Continental Army in the Yorktown campaign, creating a combined force that greatly outnumbered the British garrison.

Rochambeau worked with George Washington to move the allied army south from the Hudson Valley to Virginia. Their plan depended on French naval operations in the Chesapeake Bay. Rochambeau was the army commander, while the French admiral Comte de Grasse commanded the fleet that blocked British relief. The Marquis de Lafayette also served prominently, but he did not command the entire French army.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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