May 5th marks the 163rd anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, a chapter in history where Mexicans emerged victorious over French soldiers, but few know the real reason why the French army lost.
History tells us that between 1858 and 1861, there was a struggle between conservatives and liberals, which generated a severe economic crisis in Mexico and prevented President Benito Juárez from fulfilling his commitments to pay the foreign debt he owed to Spain, England, and France.
To this end, Mexico signed the Treaty of La Soledad, in which it agreed to pay the then-current 70 million pesos to Spain, 9.5 million pesos to England, and 1.5 million pesos to France. However, France did not honor the treaty and chose to invade Aztec soil, which led to the battle between Mexican troops and the French army.
According to historian Emma García Palacios, a member of the Chronicle Council of the city of Puebla, there were factors that favored the victory of the Eastern Army and the indigenous people of Tetela de Ocampo, Zacapoaxtla, and Xochiapulco.
On February 26, 1862, the French army arrived in Mexico off the coast of Veracruz with a fleet of 4,074 mounted soldiers, intending to reach the city of Puebla, crossing through Tehuacán, and then proceeding to Mexico City, the capital of the Mexican Republic. The goal was that once they entered Mexico City, the foreigners could establish a monarchy.
To defend Mexican territory, President Benito Juárez instructed General Ignacio Zaragoza to lead the Mexican troops. Natural conditions favored the defense of the territory, and the French suffered several casualties.
According to historian Emma García Palacios, due to an outbreak of yellow fever, the French soldiers gradually fell ill and died, which meant that as the days passed, fewer of them fought against the Mexicans.
The torrent caused the battlefield to become a muddy mess, something the indigenous Mexicans were accustomed to, as they wore sandals and could walk and run without difficulty.
For the battle, they carried only machetes and fought hand-to-hand, while the French soldiers, led by Count Lorencez, wore boots and slipped in the mud, a situation the Mexicans took advantage of.
This battle ended at 4:30 p.m. on May 5, 1862, when the French army, considered the best in the world at the time, lost 600 men, while the Mexican army lost much less.
What is the most famous quote from May 5, 1862?
After the losses of French soldiers who died from yellow fever, as well as those who perished due to their inability to defend themselves in the muddy terrain, General Ignacio Zaragoza, who commanded the Eastern Army, emerged victorious, and Mexico won the battle.
To report the results, he sent a cable to President Benito Juárez containing one of the most famous phrases in Mexican history: “the national weapons have been clothed in glory,” thereby confirming that the Mexicans had defeated the French.
General Zaragoza, commander of the Eastern Army, was accompanied by a group of distinguished liberal generals, including Porfirio Díaz, Miguel Negrete, Felipe Berriozábal, Antonio Álvarez, and Félix Díaz.
Information from the National Archives highlights that for 50 years, the French Army had only recorded victory after victory, so they were convinced that Mexico would be no different. However, yellow fever and a waterspout in rugged terrain were not in their plans, and there was no strategy for it.
Source: El Universal
