XYZ Affair

XYZ Affair
An episode ( 1797 – 98 ) in US–French diplomatic relations. A three-man mission was sent to France to resolve a dispute caused by the USA's unwillingness to aid France in the French Revolutionary wars in spite of treaty obligations made in 1778 . Talleyrand refused to see the delegation and indirect suggestions of loans and bribes to France came through Mme de Villette , a friend of Talleyrand. Negotiations were carried on through her with X ( Jean Conrad Hottinguer ), Y (a Mr Bellamy , a US banker in Hamburg), and Z ( Lucien Hauteval ). A proposal that the Americans should pay Talleyrand $250,000 created outrage in the USA. President Adams , however, ignored calls...

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