Back in 2004, authors John J. Miller and Mark Molesky wrote in “Our Oldest Enemy” that the cherished idea of French friendship with the United States has little basis in reality. The French have always been the United States’ rivals, they stated, and have harmed and obstructed U.S.interests more often than not. The authors assert that France’s support to the American Revolution was minimal, although it appears that the Major General, the Marquis de Lafayette, was a devoted aide to George Washington during the 18th Century American struggle against the British.
