The Battle of Puebla took place on May 5, 1862 in the Mexican town of Puebla. It was a confrontation between the army of the liberal government and the French forces sent by Napoleon III.
The latter wanted to establish a French satellite state in Mexico. The contest ended in a Mexican victory, and is celebrated on the national calendar of Mexican holidays such as Cinco de Mayo.
In this battle, the Mexican defenders faced an army of French invaders that outnumbered them both in numbers and weapons. This display of patriotism was a source of inspiration for later victories.
Background
After the independence of Mexico from the Spanish Empire in 1821, the country was involved in a series of internal and bloody struggles that lasted until 1858.
During that period the nation contracted heavy debts with the European powers of Spain, England and France. The amount owed was approximately 80 million Mexican pesos.
In 1861, in view of the delicate situation in the country, the Mexican Congress suspended the payment of any foreign debt for a period of 2 years.
Then began a process of negotiating the payment of the debt with the creditor nations. Mexico was looking for more favorable payment conditions.
However, the three European powers united to invade the Aztec nation and collect the debt.
In this way they formed a fleet that landed in the port of Veracruz between December 8, 1861 and January 9, 1962.
In the end, Spain and England decided not to invade but France persisted in their intentions.
The Battle of Puebla
On May 5, 1862, General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín faced the French forces commanding 4,500 men.
These were made up of 6,500 well-trained and well-equipped men, commanded by General Charles de Lorencez. After three bloody and unsuccessful assaults for the French, they were exhausted and stunned.
The survivors then regrouped in a defensive position, waiting for a Mexican counterattack that never came.
The defeat was of such proportion that they were forced to retreat and retreat, suddenly stopping the invasion.
In the end, the balance of the combat was 476 casualties on the French side, against 83 on the Mexican side. That day an inclement rain unleashed that turned the battlefield into a quagmire.
With this, the persecution actions undertaken by General Zaragoza's forces were hampered. This saved the invading force from being wiped out in its entirety.
However, the French emperor insisted on his plans. A year later he sends 30,000 men. These took control of Mexico City by defeating the Mexicans in the second battle of Puebla in 1863.
In this way, a war was unleashed between the sides that it maintained for several years. Finally, with the help of the United States, the French were defeated in 1867.
References
- Encyclopædia Britannica. (2017, July 03). Battle of Puebla. Retrieved on December 7, 2017, from britannica.com
- Miles, DW (2006). Cinco de Mayo: What is Everybody Celebrating? The Story Behind Mexico's battle of Puebla. Lincoln: iUniverse.
- Mexonline.com. (S / f). The History of Cinco de Mayo. Retrieved on December 7, 2017, from mexonline.com
- Gilliam, R. (2017, January 20). "Long live Cinco de Mayo!" The Battle of Puebla. Retrieved on December 7, 2017, from warfarehistorynetwork.com
- Beezley, WH (2011). Mexico in World History. Oxford: Oxford University Press.