The real story of Cinco de Mayo In 1862, due to the tremendous cost of the Mexican War against the United States from 1846 to 1848 — which led to the loss of half of its territory — the Mexican government of Benito Juarez was forced to suspend payments of Mexico’s foreign debt to some European countries. On July 17, 1861, President Juárez issued a moratorium in which all foreign debt payments would be suspended for two years. In response, France, Britain and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz to demand reimbursement. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew. However, France was ruled by Napoleon III (who was seeking the possibility of establishing a colony in the Americas that would favor French interests). He proceeded to send troops to invade Mexico. Although the U.S. Monroe Doctrine was established to protect the continent from European interventions, Abraham Lincoln’s government was in no position to avoid it since his country was involved in its own civil war. On the evening of May 5, in the city of Puebla, the Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza led his soldiers in a battle against the French invaders, resulting in victory for the Mexicans, winning against an army undefeated since Waterloo. France, however, dispatched more troops, and in 1863 conquered Mexico City. Then, helped by the request of some conservative Mexicans, who thought that a strong monarchy would take Mexico out of its political chaos, France installed Maximilian of Habsburg and his wife, Charlotte of Belgium, on the Mexican throne. They ruled Mexico for four years. In 1867, troops loyal to Benito Juárez — by then in exile — laid siege to the French forces and eventually forced Maximilian to surrender, followed by his and his general’s execution. That battle also began on May 5. Juárez re-entered Mexico City and was re-elected that same year. Throughout Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is commemorated, but not in as big a way as is the real Independence Day (Sept. 16). Whatever the reason, happy Cinco de Mayo.
Posted on: Mon, 05 May 2014 10:17:26 +0000