Before the Battle of Saratoga, the French government held a stance of secret support for the American cause.

Despite maintaining its formal neutrality, France secretly supported the American colonies, seeing an opportunity to undermine their longtime foe, Britain. This assistance took the form of financial backing, weapons, and supplies for the American military as well as diplomatic initiatives to determine whether the colonial war for independence was still viable. French support for the American cause was further cemented by the crucial American victory at Saratoga in 1777, which finally resulted in the formation of an official alliance in 1778. This pivot altered the Revolutionary War's dynamics dramatically.