The French Navy fleet officially arrived one day later than expected.
However, the size of this fleet was completely different from when he last left.
What was originally one large battleship (battleship) had now become seven, and the number of other auxiliary warships had also increased significantly.
king Louis XVI, as Charles had hoped, was indeed preparing for a major war with the British.
At the beginning of the Franco-American Alliance, it brought great expectations to the people of America.
However, France was hesitant and indecisive about sending a large expeditionary force to America, and the situation of the American war of Independence did not fundamentally improve after the alliance; instead, it became precarious.
The aging Franklin, as the American representative, had been tirelessly working in Paris for a long time.
He actively engaged with the French royal family, government members, and various dignitaries to secure economic and military assistance.
In early 1778, the French government finally agreed to take significant military action in America and granted the United States a loan of three million livres (some say seven million francs).
At this time, Lafayette, a French nobleman serving in the American army, also returned from the United States to his homeland in France, using his connections with French high society to persuade various influential figures to support the American Revolution.
Lafayette's specific proposal was to allocate equipment for 15,000 men and a large amount of gunpowder from the royal armory to be shipped to the United States, provide funds to the United States, and purchase cloth for American soldiers.
Due to the extensive efforts of Franklin, Lafayette, and others, the French government decided to provide weapons, equipment, and military supplies to the United States and dispatch a powerful expeditionary army and Navy fleet to fight in America.
The French court agreed to Lafayette's return to the United States to continue serving in the Continental army and sent an old general, Rochambeau, with the rank of lieutenant general, to command the French Expeditionary Force.
When that expanse of sails appeared on the coast, the sentries outside Philadelphia nearly rang the alarm bell.
Fortunately, they eventually discovered they were French warships.
It was a false alarm, but it also made many people on shore aware of the arrival of the French army fleet.
Charles did not conceal this news; instead, he widely publicized it, intending to draw in the British fleet.
He even immediately conceived the idea of instigating them to fight the British fleet after seeing that this fleet was even more powerful than the British one.
However, the French army appearing at Philadelphia's port also caused considerable alarm and unease among many Americans.
The French fleet, consisting of thirty-six ships, brought not only an enhanced Navy but also seven thousand five hundred French army soldiers dispatched to America, as well as a large amount of supplies and heavy artillery.
Many Philadelphians rushed to the port to welcome their French allies.
"Welcome, Count de Rochambeau, Count de Grasse, and all you brave French warriors!
You bring to the people of America the care of the benevolent people of Europe.
You also bring us the hope of victory!
On behalf of the three million people of the United States of America, I extend our sincere gratitude for your arrival!
May God bless you!
Long live great France!
Long live great king Louis!" Hancock delivered a welcoming speech to the French.
Many people were present to welcome them.
As President of the Continental Congress, Hancock, accompanied by a small number of representatives including Charles, personally boarded the French flagship to welcome the French allies who had traveled a long way to support American independence—the Supreme Commander of the Expeditionary Force, Count de Rochambeau, and the Commander of the French Navy fleet, Count de Grasse.
Although this ally arrived a bit late, the appearance of such a powerful force indeed necessitated a cautious reception from the American side.
"Mr. President Hancock, we bring the friendship of the people of France and the people of Europe to the people of America!
The great Americans, with their courage and strength, have proven that the United States of America, as a new nation, is capable of coexisting with other countries in the world among the nations chosen by God.
Let us cheer, long live the great United States of America!
Long live great President Hancock!" Count Rochambeau replied with a smile and stepped forward to embrace Hancock and the others.
But unfortunately, his corresponding return greeting, "Long live great President Hancock," caused a moment of awkwardness among the welcoming crowd, and some of the welcoming commoners even burst into laughter below.
"President Hancock is not our king Louis!"
"Frenchman! You gave the wrong blessing!"
Although Hancock was indeed the President of the Continental Congress and the leader of today's welcoming crowd, he was not the leader of the United States of America.
Aside from presiding over the Continental Congress, he held no real power; compared to the Secretary of the Continental Congress, he was merely a more senior auxiliary staff member.
Neither in merit nor influence, nor in executive power, did he come close to people with actual positions like Charles and Jefferson.
Even if Rochambeau had shouted, "Long live General Washington!" it would have been better than "Long live Hancock!"
Count Rochambeau couldn't help it; he was simply following the popular diplomatic etiquette of the time, knowing that upon a first meeting, one should praise the other country and bless its monarch.
In his view, among the current American officials, the only one who could be remotely associated with a monarch was Hancock, the nominal leader of the highest authority.
This misunderstanding led to a bit of a comical scene at their meeting.
Seeing the reaction of the people below, Rochambeau immediately smiled and corrected himself:
"Long live the great people of America!"
Those American "farmers" generously accepted the blessing and responded with smiles:
"Long live the great people of France!"
"Long live the great French allies!"
The cheers grew louder and louder, echoing throughout the entire port.
Rochambeau and other senior French generals all came out, waving their hats, to greet the welcoming crowd in Philadelphia.
At this moment, he had to humor the American "farmers" in their eyes.
Rochambeau had already heard about Charles' capture, and he felt very confused and embarrassed by such a "reversal" that suddenly appeared in America.
But the only thing he could think of doing was to "respect" the Americans' strength.
Previously, the allied forces had been slow to act, and when they finally managed to send troops, after a brief rest and preparation for action, they found that the situation here was already...
Not much left.
At this time, it was naturally necessary to show as much respect as possible to the allies, and not to offend them.
The welcoming ceremony was very grand.
To put pressure on the British, and even to lay the groundwork for peace negotiations, Charles and the municipal leaders of Philadelphia specially arranged an entry ceremony for the French.
At the same time, they didn't forget to include Cornwallis, who had just entered the city, directly as a welcoming participant in the ceremony.
Seeing seven thousand five hundred French army soldiers, dressed in splendid military uniforms, beating drums, marching into Philadelphia, Cornwallis, that old fox, was indeed greatly alarmed.
After obtaining the consent of his American guards, he immediately wrote a letter informing Britain of the situation here and his predicament.
This letter, along with the Continental Congress' letter requesting Britain to send representatives for negotiations, was conveyed by merchant ships of the independent nation.
A month later, Cornwallis' news of the French army's large-scale deployment to America reached Britain, along with the crushing defeat of the British army in Richmond and the capture of their supreme commander, naturally causing a stir throughout the British court and public.
General Conway, who had previously moved to abolish the Stamp Act, now proposed sending a petition to the king, requesting an end to the war.
Prime Minister North also subtly suggested recognizing American independence.
Although king George III remained stubbornly defiant, stating he would rather lose his crown than surrender to the Colonies, he was no longer as resolute as he had been after the Battle of Philadelphia.
At this time, it was not only the setbacks on the American continent; the international situation was also very unfavorable to Britain.
Spain saw this as an opportune moment to reclaim Gibraltar, Minorca, and Jamaica from Britain.
Shortly after the Franco-American Alliance, Spain also declared war on Britain.
To counter the Franco-Spanish alliance, Britain adopted a naval blockade policy, intercepting ships of neutral nations at sea, which further offended other European powers.
Russia immediately issued a declaration of armed neutrality, followed by a coalition with Prussia, Netherlands, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, and other countries to form the "Armed Neutrality Alliance," seizing the opportunity to strike at British naval power.
All these factors meant that while fighting the United States, Britain also had to dispatch fleets and troops to the North Sea, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and India to fend off attacks from France, Netherlands, and Spain.
For a time, with the American war of Independence as a catalyst, various European countries launched a war to maintain or contend for commercial interests, all targeting Britain.
The American war of Independence gradually became an international dispute, and the international environment became more favorable to the United States.
For Britain, sitting down at the negotiating table and resolving the troubles in America as quickly as possible was the most advantageous choice.
king George, in fact, only needed a sufficiently honorable reason, meaning that peace talks had to be initiated by the American side.
So, he ultimately stated that out of moral obligation and to rescue the captured soldiers of the kingdom, he decided to send envoys to the American continent to discuss the release of Cornwallis and other captured British officers, without mentioning peace talks at all.
However, that is a matter for later.
Currently, the United States is concerned about the French position and is busy in Philadelphia coordinating the respective interests of the two countries to adopt a unified stance in the foreseeable negotiations with Britain.
The American representatives were President of the Continental Congress Hancock, the leaders of the three major factions Charles and Jefferson, and John Adams, who escorted Cornwallis to Philadelphia.
The French representatives were the Supreme Commander of the Expeditionary Force, Count de Rochambeau, the Commander of the Navy fleet, Count de Grasse, and the newly appointed French Ambassador to the United States, Girard.
"My two Counts, and Mr. Ambassador, I must thank you once again; the arrival of the French allies has indeed given us great confidence!
Please allow me, on behalf of the Continental Congress, to extend the highest respect to the brave French allies!" Hancock thanked the French side again before the negotiations began.
There was a time lag here.
It was now June 1778.
In reality, the decisive battle against the Hessian army in Richmond had already ended, and the Continental army was pursuing the scattered mercenary troops.
However, because the journey between Richmond and Philadelphia was quite long, Cornwallis, who had been sent out a few days earlier, had only just arrived, and the news of the victory had naturally not yet reached Philadelphia.
"Hahaha!" The jovial French Ambassador to the United States, Girard, burst into laughter, "We originally intended to come and help the American people fight together, but now it seems we've arrived at the best time for congratulations!
Mr. President, and esteemed members, please also allow me, on behalf of His Majesty king Louis and the French government, to extend our sincere congratulations on your victory in Richmond and the successful capture of the British army's Supreme Commander!"
Hancock and the others naturally offered their thanks in return, finding the Ambassador quite agreeable.
"Mr. President, you have just achieved a great victory against the British.
What are your plans for the upcoming war?
I hear there are wars in both the North and South.
In the North, General Washington has the advantage, while in the South, it's evenly matched.
Does the North still need our army to help?
As for those who haven't yet defeated the Hessian mercenaries, even if those soldiers know the British army has failed, they still possess strong fighting power.
Our two Counts believe we should first resolve the fighting in the South.
However, His Majesty king Louis once requested both Counts to obey your country's orders, so I think we should first inquire about your opinions." He asked.
There was a slight historical deviation here.
In real history, due to Washington's several outstanding tactical performances and his prominent reputation in Europe as the supreme military leader fighting for the people of America, king Louis XVI, after dispatching the expeditionary force, appointed Count Rochambeau as the allied forces' deputy supreme commander, subservient to Washington, to avoid a dual command situation on the battlefield, based on Lafayette's suggestion.
He merely commanded his own troops, and strategically, he had to follow Washington's arrangements and leadership.
However, due to Charles' appearance, many wars did not occur.
Washington's expected achievements were instead usurped by the Continental Congress, composed of civilian officials.
Louis XVI no longer appreciated Washington as he did in real history, so he also handed over the strategic command of the expeditionary force to the Continental Congress, which led the war of Independence.