Editing Battle of Germantown (section)

== Aftermath and Significance ==

The Battle of Germantown was a tactical defeat for the Continental Army, which failed to achieve its objectives and suffered significant casualties. The British retained control of Germantown and Philadelphia, and Washington's army retreated to lick its wounds before eventually establishing winter quarters at [[Valley Forge]]. Yet the battle had consequences that transcended the immediate outcome. European observers, including the French government, were impressed that Washington had mounted a major offensive so soon after his defeat at Brandywine. The audacity of the attack, even in failure, suggested that the Americans were serious about winning their independence and might be worth supporting.<ref name="dull">{{cite book |last=Dull |first=Jonathan R. |title=A Diplomatic History of the American Revolution |year=1985 |publisher=Yale University Press |location=New Haven}}</ref>

The French alliance, concluded in February 1778, had multiple causes, but the willingness Washington demonstrated at Germantown contributed to European confidence in the American cause. Combined with the decisive American victory at Saratoga three weeks later (October 17, 1777), where a British army was forced to surrender, Germantown helped convince France that the Americans could fight effectively and might actually win their war. The troops who had retreated from Germantown would spend the winter at Valley Forge, endure its hardships, and emerge in spring 1778 as a professional army ready to face the British on equal terms. The battle was a defeat, but it pointed toward eventual victory.<ref name="middlekauff"/>