XYZ Affair

In American history, an incident 1797-98 in which the French as represented by foreign minister Talleyrand were accused of demanding a US$250,000 bribe before agreeing to negotiate with US envoys in Paris. The proposed negotiations were part of an attempt to resolve a crisis in Franco-US relations caused by the war in Europe and by French raids on American shipping. Three French agents (referred to by President John Adams in 1797 as X, Y, and Z) held secret talks with the envoys over the money. Publicity fuelled anti-French feelings in the USA and led to increased military spending.