I’ve got be honest with y’all…the 19th and the 20th century were, at least according to my humble opinion, the most interesting centuries in our history. I am saying this, because I have a lot of plans for future articles, covering unusual events, wars, people around this period. Not to worry though, there will still be writings about other interesting stuff outside of the above-mentioned timeline, so relax and enjoy today’s story.
It was the 30s of the 19th century. The newly formed Mexican Republic was experiencing the chaos every new nation prior to its creation does (in 1830 Spain officially recognized the independence of Mexico).
The new state had already established some diplomatic relations with powers around the world, such as the Second French Empire, which was also Mexico’s third largest trading partner (the first two being the United States and Great Britain). However, France had yet to secure trade agreements similar to those that the U.S. and Great Britain had.
Now in the following years some events happened that greatly damaged the relations between Mexico and France. This led to two major military interventions from the French side, the second one even turning Mexico into a French client state (puppet state) for a few years. Today we are going to talk about both of those interventions and we will start off with the so- called Pastry War.
As we already mentioned the 30s of the 19th centuries were a period of political instability. This included frequent acts of violence ordered by government officials against the opposition, major civil protests and repression against foreigners living and working in the country. French citizens were not an exception and as a result numerous complaints were made to the French state, because of that. One particular case was that of a French pastry chef, known as Monsieur Remontel, who claimed, that in 1832 Mexican officers looted his shop in Tacubaya (then a town on the outskirts of Mexico City). Remontel demanded 60,000 pesos as reparations for the damage (his shop was valued at less than 1,000 pesos). Similar cases were also presented to the French foreign officials and in view of those in 1838 prime minister Louis-Mathieu Molé demanded from Mexico the payment of 600,000 pesos (3 million Francs) in damages, an enormous sum for the time, when the typical daily wage in Mexico City was about one peso.
Mexican officials refused to cooperate and so when president Anastasio Bustamante made no payment, the King of France, Louis-Philippe, ordered a fleet under Rear Admiral Charles Baudin to declare and carry out a blockade of all Mexican ports on the Gulf of Mexico from Yucatán to the Rio Grande.
The King also ordered the capitulation of the city of Veracruz before the French forces, as the city was the most important Mexican port. When by December 1838 the plan was fulfilled, Mexico saw no other choice, but to declare war on the Second French Empire.
During the military conflict, as a result of the French naval blockade, the Mexican government smuggled much needed food supplies and military equipment from the bordering Republic of Texas (the same Republic that at that time was the main target of Belgian colonization attempts – check out the article here.) However soon the smuggling practice was terminated due to Texas fearing a French blockade as well. Nevertheless, the Europeans were supported by the United States, whose goal at the time was to weaken the Mexican Republic.
After some fighting though, the French forces withdrew on 9 March 1839. A peace treaty was signed, following these events. As part of the treaty the Mexican government agreed to pay 600,000 pesos as damages to French citizens while France received promises for future trade commitments in place of war indemnities. The war was a huge diplomatic victory for France, even though the sum of money they demanded as reparations would prove to be impossible for the Mexicans to pay. This is one of the main reasons that led to the so-called Second French Intervention in Mexico.
Long story short, Mexico could not pay the loans it had taken from the United Kingdom, Spain and the Second French Empire. Keep in mind the following actions happened in the year of 1861 – some 20 years had passed since the last French “excursion” in Mexico. Officials from the three, already mentioned European countries, arranged a meeting and decided, that a military intervention shall be commenced, following the inability of the Mexican government to pay its debts.
The Tripartite Alliance’s fleets arrived in the Gulf of Mexico and occupied a couple of coastal cities, including the important city of Veracruz.
The Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs, Manuel Doblado met with the Spanish general Juan Prim (who was the nominal commander of the tripartite alliance) and explained to him the country’s economic complications and persuaded him that the suspension of the debts was only going to be temporary. For the governments of Spain and Great Britain this explanation was sufficient, so they decided to leave. Napoleon III however, the Emperor of the French at the time, wanted to expand the influence of Imperial France, so the primary reason he entered in a coalition with Spain and Great Britain was to prevent their intervention on the Mexican side in case of a war between the latter and France. When the Spanish and British governments found about the French emperor’s plans, they decided to pull out their fleets and not concern themselves with the matter.
The French, again, executed their naval blockade maneuver and began their advance into the Mexican territory.
Now there is something very different here, in contrast to the previous military intervention. At the time of the second intervention, Mexico was divided between liberal republicans and conservative monarchists. The French forces were actually welcomed in the country by a certainly not small part of the population, since they were viewed as the much-needed foreign support, protectors of the traditional Christian values and Catholicism.
The French weren’t unbeatable though. In fact, the operation was quite the challenge and it drained the French treasury a lot quicker than the emperor had expected. For instance, Mexican forces commanded by General Ignacio Zaragoza managed to win an unexpected victory against the French army in the Battle of Puebla on 5 May 1862 (commemorated by the Cinco de Mayo holiday) halting the French advance for some time. This was a very important victory for the Mexicans, not decisive though.
Eventually, French troops under General François Achille Bazaine entered Mexico City on 7 June 1863.
The Superior Junta was created by traditionalists with its 35 members met on 21 June and proclaimed a Catholic Empire on 10 July. The crown was offered to Maximilian von Habsburg (Austrian archduke), following pressures by Napoleon. Maximilian accepted the crown on 3 October, at the hands of the Comisión Mexicana, sent by the Superior Junta.
Aren’t we forgetting someone important here? Yes, indeed we are…the United States of America. Now one might argue why didn’t they intervene to protect Mexico against the French, because of, you know, the Monroe Doctrine and stuff…the answer is simple and straightforward: Civil War.
The American Civil War lasted from 1861 till 1865 and while President Lincoln supported the Republicans in Mexico, the U.S could not help them in any way for two primary reasons. Firstly, they were busy fighting the South and all the war materials and resources available were dedicated to winning this war and secondly – they did not want the French to recognize and support the Confederacy in case of an intervention in the Franco-Mexican war from the North. That would be disastrous for the Northern states and so they kept their neutrality…at least for the time being.
Back in Mexico the French suffered heavy casualties from guerilla warfare, which the Mexican republicans were very used to. The imperial forces were withdrawn form some provinces, that they were so immensely challenged for, they couldn’t resist no more.
In 1866, choosing Franco-American relations over his Mexican monarchy ambitions (the American Civil War had ended with the North being victorious and so they started supplying Mexican republicans with guns and equipment) Napoleon III announced the withdrawal of French forces beginning 31 May, abandoning years of hard-fought land.
Following the retreat of the French forces, the Republicans reclaimed a number of important cities and soon the capital. Unfortunately, Maximillian could not escape and was ultimately executed on 19th June 1866. The French intervention had officially ended with the Republican led government being more stable and both internal and external forces were now kept at bay.
France’s adventure in Mexico had improved relations with Austria through Maximilian but produced no result as France had alienated itself in the international community. During 1866, Prussia went to war with France’s indirect ally Austria, which was promptly defeated while French troops were still in Mexico unable to affect the situation in Europe, which would prove to be a disastrous diplomatic failure, as later Prussia would be the one to destroy the Second French Empire in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.
I hope you enjoyed this longer article, and remember to always be interested in our past, as there is a lot more to be explored in our unusual history.