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| Battle of Puebla | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the French intervention in Mexico | |||||||
 Depictions of the battle showing Mexican cavalry overwhelming the French troops below the fort at Loreto. Note there are no machete wielding civilians, as some accounts have it. | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Mexican States |
 Second French Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Ignacio Zaragoza | Charles de Lorencez | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 4,500 soldiers, mostly veterans of the Reform Wars 1857-1860, include Zappadores, Infantry, Cavalry and 18 guns in 3 batteries of artillery. (Civilian forces not substantiated) | 6,040 soldiers, includes Chasseurs à Pied, Chasseurs de Vincennes, Chasseurs d'Afrique, 99th Infantry, 2nd Zouaves, Marine, Naval Infantry, and 12 guns Artillery, 6 guns Mountain Howitzer | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 83 dead, 131 wounded, 12 MIA | 462 dead, more than 300 wounded, 8 captured | ||||||
The Battle of Puebla took place on May 5, 1862 near the city of Puebla during the French intervention in Mexico. The battle ended in a victory for the Mexican Army against the French occupational forces. The victory is celebrated today during the festivities of Cinco de Mayo (5th of May). In the USA, a common misconception is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's independence day.
Background
In late 1861 Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, sent troops to Mexico, alongside British and Spanish forces, to collect debts owed by a previous Mexican government. President Benito Juárez had announced the annulment of these debts, and vowed to pay nothing to European powers. Napoleon’s troops occupied the port city of Veracruz on December 8, 1861. Soon thereafter, the British and Spanish forces returned home, having established a truce with Mexico.
Follow up
On september 16 1862, President Juárez declared that the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla would be a national holiday, regarded as "Battle of Puebla Day" or just Cinco de Mayo. Although it is recognized as a day of celebration, nowadays it is not a federal holiday in Mexico.
On May 11 Maximilian resolved to attempt an escape through the enemy lines. He was, however, intercepted before he could carry out this plan on May 15 and, following a court-martial, was sentenced to death. Many of the crowned heads of Europe and other prominent figures (including Victor Hugo and Giuseppe Garibaldi) sent telegrams and letters to Mexico pleading for Maximilian's life to be spared, but Juárez refused to commute the sentence, believing that it was necessary to send a message that Mexico would not tolerate any government imposed by foreign powers.
Maximilian was executed on June 19 (along with his generals Miguel Miramón and Tomás Mejía) on the Cerro de las Campanas, a hill on the outskirts of Querétaro, by the forces loyal to President Benito Juárez, who had kept the federal government functioning during the French intervention. Juárez's position was further strengthened when the United States deployed troops to the Rio Grande, and threatened an invasion. Mexico City surrendered the day after Maximilian was executed.
The republic was restored, President Juárez was returned to power in the national capital, and the 1857 Constitution of Mexico once again was unchallenged supreme charter of the country. Among other things, the constitution confiscated the vast landholdings of the Catholic church (which had been acting as landlord over half the country), established civil marriages, and forbade the participation of priests in politics (the separation of Church and State).