July 4th - It's Louis XVI we're celebrating with the tallship HERMIONE...

[Surya Gayatri]

The original HERMIONE, Lafayette's famous frigate, would never have set sail from France if Louis XVI had not decided to support the Yankee rebels. His decision to back them led directly to the eventual collapse of his own kingdom.

It's a 'salty' story: the modern French Republic financed the recent reconstruction of a ship armed by the accursed King, part of France's national destiny, Louis XVI himself.

And today, the cheers going up in the Bay of New York in praise of Hermione, might also be intended for the French king, beheaded by a Revolution which in time helped the Republicans to build their ideal .

Active support for the Amercian rebels

In 1778, King Louis XVI, said to be still undecided, finally made a royal decision: to help the American rebels in their fight against Britain, owner of those distant colonies.

France wanted to nullify the shameful Treaty of Paris, signed by Louis XV fifteen years earlier - a treaty that ceded many of France's possessions to London, including Canada, India and Senegal.

For several years, the new king and his minister Sartine, concentrated their efforts on the French fleet, which could finally measure up to that of the English. The time was ripe for revenge.

The alliance with Austria - reinforced by Louis XVI's marriage to Marie-Antoinette - was keeping things quiet on the European continent. It was decided to take the war to the New World with the help of those "rebel insurgents" that France had been secretely arming behind the scenes since their declaration of independence in 1776.

The war was popular at the time, and the courtiers and ladies in the salons of Versailles began to wear model ships on preposterous wigs "to support the troops"!

Lafayette, real hothead

So, Louis XVI armed a large fleet and put it under the command of Rochambeau - seven battleships, 25 transport ships and nearly 6,000 well-trained men, who were to join the 14,000 soldiers of the Continental Army of rebels fighting against the English.

And Hermione? The frigate was sent ahead to inform Washington of the arrival of French reinforcements, with the famous Lafayette on board. He was one of the first to join the Americans, while Louis XVI was still undecided - which is why the Marquis had a reputation as a real hothead. For the American rebels, France's rescue was
just in the nick of time: they were running out of money and supplies.
...

It was the beginning of the end: the king of France did not reverse the situation at home, failing to institute fundamental reforms. The newly-free Americans, with little regard for their rescuers, quickly resumed trading with their former masters rather than with their liberators. Ultimately, Louis XVI won the war but lost the peace: glory and business do not always mix.
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More here in an interesting piece (but in French):

http://www.lepoint.fr/monde/4-juillet-avec-l-hermione-c-est-louis-xvi-que-l-on-celebre-04-07-2015-1942307_24.php