In the autumn of 1775 he emigrated to avoid Sosnowski and his retainers. In late 1775 he attempted to join the Saxon army but was turned down and decided to return to Paris. There he learned of the American Revolutionary War outbreak, in which the British colonies in North America had revolted against the British Crown and began their struggle for independence. The first American successes were well-publicized in France, and the French people and government openly supported the revolutionaries' cause.