What motivated France to entering the American Revolutionary War?

Answer 1

The French secretly supported the Americans when the war began. They finally openly supported the Americans after the Battle of Saratoga because it showed that the Americans could win the war and gain their independence. Also, the French were still mad about being defeated by the British in the Seven Years War (French and Indian War) and they were hoping to gain the territory they had lost in that war.

Answer 2

Mainly because France was an ancient enemy of Britain's. They had fought many, many wars against each other over the previous 700 or so years- including the Seven Years War, which had ended a little over a decade before the American Revolutionary War started. Once it appeared the Americans had a chance to actually win the Revolutionary War, the French joined their side as a way of getting their jabs in at Britain.

Additionally, the Seven Years War had left Britain as arguably the most powerful country in the world with a large colonial empire spanning the globe. Countries they had defeated in the Seven Years and previous wars, like France, Spain and the Netherlands, didn't necessarily like this arrangement and the American Revolution was a handy way of getting some revenge. They were all able to gain some concessions and colonial territory from Britain as a result of the Paris peace process in 1783.

Answer 3

By what I have read. France had long since hated Britain but was far too weak to do anything about it. They knew for some time that America would not listen to Britain. Naturally it worked like the saying that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. However, France would not help America at first because they thought that the American Revolution would only be a small battle quickly won by the British. France finally realized that America was strong enough when they heard of the Americans repelling a large British force. After the Battle of Saratoga, France saw the American vigor and tried to overthrow the British rule in North America.

Answer 4

The fact that they hated Britain and wanted to defeat them and the American Victory at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, convinced them that the Americans had a chance to win.

Answer 5

The victory at Saratoga