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<blockquote data-quote="Pullman Brown" data-source="post: 6037961" data-attributes="member: 73012">Only assuming your definition of war. Its to narrow.Yes, even before formally entering the American Revolutionary War in 1778, France was effectively engaged in a shadow war with Britain in several ways:1. Financial and Material Support: Starting in 1775, France provided substantial clandestine aid to the American colonies through dummy trading companies, particularly Pierre Beaumarchais&#039;s Roderigue Hortalez et Cie. They supplied crucial military supplies, weapons, and ammunition.2. Military Expertise: France secretly sent military advisers and officers to assist the Continental Army, with the Marquis de Lafayette being the most famous example. Many French officers provided valuable military expertise before formal French involvement.3. Diplomatic Undermining: French diplomats actively worked to weaken British influence and strengthen ties with the colonies. They engaged in secret negotiations and agreements, particularly through agents like Silas Deane and Benjamin Franklin.4. Naval Harassment: French ships would occasionally interfere with British naval operations, though carefully maintaining plausible deniability.5. Economic Warfare: France deliberately allowed American privateers to sell British prizes in French ports, effectively enabling economic warfare against Britain while maintaining technical neutrality.This pattern of undeclared conflict fits what we might today call a proxy war or covert warfare. The French engaged in many hostile acts while maintaining official peace, similar to how modern nations might engage in cyber operations or economic warfare without formal declarations of war.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Pullman Brown, post: 6037961, member: 73012"] Only assuming your definition of war. Its to narrow. Yes, even before formally entering the American Revolutionary War in 1778, France was effectively engaged in a shadow war with Britain in several ways: 1. Financial and Material Support: Starting in 1775, France provided substantial clandestine aid to the American colonies through dummy trading companies, particularly Pierre Beaumarchais's Roderigue Hortalez et Cie. They supplied crucial military supplies, weapons, and ammunition. 2. Military Expertise: France secretly sent military advisers and officers to assist the Continental Army, with the Marquis de Lafayette being the most famous example. Many French officers provided valuable military expertise before formal French involvement. 3. Diplomatic Undermining: French diplomats actively worked to weaken British influence and strengthen ties with the colonies. They engaged in secret negotiations and agreements, particularly through agents like Silas Deane and Benjamin Franklin. 4. Naval Harassment: French ships would occasionally interfere with British naval operations, though carefully maintaining plausible deniability. 5. Economic Warfare: France deliberately allowed American privateers to sell British prizes in French ports, effectively enabling economic warfare against Britain while maintaining technical neutrality. This pattern of undeclared conflict fits what we might today call a proxy war or covert warfare. The French engaged in many hostile acts while maintaining official peace, similar to how modern nations might engage in cyber operations or economic warfare without formal declarations of war. [/QUOTE]

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