Question: who was defeated in the battle of yorktown
Answer: The Siege of Yorktown , also known as the Battle of Yorktown , the Surrender at Yorktown , German Battle or the Siege of Little York , ending on October 19 , 1781 , at Yorktown , Virginia , was a decisive victory by a combined force of American Continental Army troops led by General George Washington and French Army troops led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by British peer and Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis .