Cinco de Mayo

Outside of being a great holiday, Cinco de Mayo celebrates the defeat of Napoleon’s army at the Batalla de Puebla in Mexico on the Fifth of May, 1862.

Although commonly believed to celebrate the Independence of Mexico, the battle was actually fought because Napoleon III wanted to install his relative, Archduke Maximilian of Austria, as ruler of Mexico. Using Mexico’s war debt as an excuse, France invaded the country.

Napoleon’s army landed at the gulf coast of Mexico along the state of Veracruz and began to march toward Mexico City. But on May 5th, 5,000 ill-equipped Mestizo and Zapotec Indians under the leadership of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin managed to defeat the French army at the height of its power. It was a glorious victory that served as a unifying moment for Mexican nationalism.

Although celebrated today, the battle was, unfortunately not a turning point. Napoleon III returned to Mexico a year later with 30,000 more troops. The French were eventually able take over Mexico City and install Maximilian, a Hapsburg, as the ruler of Mexico.

Maximilian’s rule was short lived. By 1867 a resupplied Mexican army was able to finally defeat the French and Maximlian was summarily executed.

His bullet riddled shirt is kept on public display in a museum in Mexico City.

Tune in for our Next Hidden History when we discuss the revolutionary efforts of another famous Mexican, Caesar Chavez.