Forwarding of Mexico

This article describes the military forwarding French with the Mexico, of 1861 with 1867

Exiled the preserving most known Mexicans in Europe are Escandon, Aguilar, Iglesias, Landa, Woll, Velasquez of Leon and especially Gutierrez de Estrada and José-Handbook Hidalgo there Esnaurrizar. This last became acquainted with the Impératrice Eugenie with Biarritz. It succeeds in interesting him in its cause which was to install in Mexico a catholic and preserving European sovereign. Napoleon III which had already its idea sought and found, after having wiped the refusal of other princes, the archduke Maximilien de Habsbourg who had just refused to be king de Grèce. After having hesitated a long time and having pushed by his Charlotte wife this one agreed to become emperor of Mexico.

Mexico the day before the war

Mexico, extending on two million square kilometers, was populated, at the time of the intervention, of 8,5 million people. Three ethnicities were present: 2 million White S (descendants of the Conquistador S and the Spanish colonist S.), 2,5 million Mongrel, 4 million Amerindian S, like some descendants of slaves for the majority of African origin.

The descendants of the Spaniards and the Europeans come after independence for the majority better were trained and more rich person and formed the class higher, the mongrels them also had a share in the businesses. The natives as for them, were divided into a multitude of often antagonistic ethnos groups and for the majority nearly independent and given up has their fate, some being unaware of even that the country had become independent, nevertheless some of them (Benito Juarez, Mejia) had succeeded at the national level, others were cacic the very powerful ones like was Santiago Vidaurri.

The easy class were politically divided side, the Conservative party, centralist E and clerical, was supported by the land great landowners; other, the Liberal party, federalistic and anticlerical, was him mainly supported by the small holders like by the middle-class, avid seizing the grounds of the Church and that the indigenous communities. The maconnic cabins played a great part in the policy. Cabins known as " écossaises" originating in Spain were partisanes centralism, by preserving a government which continued that of the colony Cabins known as " of York" founded by the American ambassador Joel R. Poinsett were with dimensions liberals and partisanes federalism. Between 1821 and 1850 there be 50 governments different reflections from the political instability of the country. In 1836 Mexico had already lost Texas which until there belonged to him. Mexico had already faced a Spanish unloading in 1829 in Tampico and has an intervention of the French fleet with Veracruz in 1838, both pushed back by the general Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. It left a war (1846-1848) against the United States which made him lose 2,4 million km2. In 1859 the conservatives opposed to Juarez signérent with Spain the treaty My-Almonte or he promised to pay the debts due to Europeans. It is thus has a weakened and divided country which France was going to attack.

Juarez with the capacity

. In 1858, it was the Zapotèque Benito Juárez, member of the liberal party, which reached the capacity. In December 1859 its government signed with the United States the McLane-Ocampo treaty, which concedes to them with perpetuity of the right-of-way on the Mexican territory, in particular in the istme of Tehuantepec. A rebellion burst however, carried out by the generals Zuloaga and Miramon. The latter managed to drive out Juárez, which ends all the same up subduing the insurrectionists, in 1861. This new civil war had once more impoverished the State. Juárez recognized that Mexico owed 70 million Pesos in England, 9 million in Spain and 3 million in France, but, the cases of Mexico being almost empty, it decided in July 1861 to suspend for two years the payment of the foreign debt. Its government however had time in July 1859 to promulgate several laws: laws of nationalization of the ecclesiastical goods, law of the civil wedding, law of the civil register, law of secularization of the cemeteries, law of freedom of the worships.

Reasons of the intervention

The political competitions divided the classes dirigentes. Moreover, since independence, Mexico was in prey with instability, using the country financially. Opportunity for a country then powerful like France of installing a mode with its pay there and of collecting the fruits of them was tempting.

The only solution, according to Napoleon III, was to put an end to the disorder which reigned in this country, and to found an Empire there. Indeed, once the order restored in Mexico, progress would be with return: the country would become the first industrialized country of Latin America and once Mexico become an attracting region, from the thousands of colonists would come to settle in the moderated grounds, involving urbanization and immigration.

Thousands of Italians, from Irishman, Greeks, thousands of nationals of all the countries in difficulty would come to reside at Mexico and either at the the United States.

This plan of Napoleon III, which saw the occasion there to counterbalance in America the power the United States by creating a catholic Empire combined in France, was in particular supported by Eugene Rouher, which spoke about it like “more Grande Thought of the Reign”. Without of course to have consulted the Mexicans, the first interested ones!

The geopolitical conditions were excellent in 1861: The debts of Mexico and the attitude of the liberal government provided excellent pretexts so that France can intervene in manner " légitime". Moreover, American could nothing make, because they were empêtrés in the American Civil War.

Beginnings of the intervention

At the beginning, the governments Spanish and British sent them also a force expeditionary (Mexico owed them much more money than in France). Negotiations took place between Mexicains and Europeans (after the latter had signed the Convention of Soledad in February 1862, in which they were committed not attacking Mexico), but they led only to one dead end. In April 1862, English and Spaniards turned over to the port of Veracruz and left the country.

The first French offensive

The French decided to be maintained. The general Charles Ferdinand Latrille de Lorencez, with the head of the French command, decided to walk towards Puebla (which, once taken, would make it possible to open the way towards Mexico City).

After small confrontations against the Mexicans, the French arrived in front of the city, the May 5th 1862. 12  000 men of the general Ignacio Zaragoza were firmly cut off there, but were poorly armed. Lorencez launched its troops in a frontal attack against the strengthened convent of Cerro (convent) of Guadalupe. Cut off well behind the walls, the Mexican soldiers managed to push back the French, of which a thousand perished during the battle. Lorencez sounded the retirement then, and was withdrawn piteously.

When the news of the defeat in front of Puebla was known in Paris, Napoleon III sent a reinforcement of 26  000 men in Mexico, under the command of the new general-in-chief: Elie Frederic Forey. This last and its men arrived at Mexico in September 1862. They made the Siège of Puebla second once.

The catch of Puebla and Oaxaca

The city fell only at the price from many efforts, in May 1863. Thousands of Mexicans were then in the city during its fall. All could not be imprisoned and were thus slackened. A few days afterwards, they had joined the rows of the rebels. Thereafter, the French Army managed to progress without encumber to Mexico City, from where Juárez had fled (this last took refuge with El Paso del Norte, at the border of the the United States)

In July 1863, a " assembly of notables" at this meeting in Mexico City offered the Impériale crown to the Archiduc of Austria Maximilien de Habsbourg (called Archidupe later) which spent more than one year to accept it…

Following the catch of the city, the army accepted the task to pacify the State de Puebla. The soldiers multiplied the steps, strengthened the visited villages, and managed not without evil to make reign the order. But an obstacle barred the road to them: the town of Oaxaca, stronghold of the chief rebels Porfirio Diaz.

The general Bazaine (who had replaced Forey), decided to carry out to him even the operations against this city. Those started with the end of the year 1864. However the seat did not last well a long time: in February 1865, Porfirio Diaz signed the rendering of Oaxaca. Thousands of Mexicans were in the city during its fall. Once again, all could not be imprisoned and were thus slackened. A few days later, the majority had joined the guerillas of north.

The French Army vis-a-vis the guerilla

After the catch of Oaxaca, the soldiers were sent to fight in the north of Mexico, where the guerilla was most virulent. The task force was not accustomed to fight in this manner: when the rebels were in strong position, they attacked, in the contrary case, they fled. Moreover, they had horses, which was not the case of the French.

In order to fight against this strategy, the against-guerilla of colonel Dupin set up itself: a troop of men of the country, knowing the ground on which they ventured, equipped with horses, acted as margin of the French Army.

End

In April 1865 the American Civil War ended. The representative of Bénito Juarez, Matias Romero, pushed the government of Washington to mass his troops along the border with Mexico, bringing there weapons, ammunition and material, the troops juarists transfer also their increased manpower war veterans of the American civil war. During this time, Seward, the American Minister for the foreign affairs pressed French to give up Mexico.

Napoleon III thus withdrew his troops, giving up little by little the cities of north, Mexico City, Puebla, and Veracruz. In February 1867, the last French ship left banks of Mexico…

The war of Mexico still made a death, in June 1867. The Maximilien Emperor, who had refused to abdicate, took refuge in Santiago de Querétaro. Soon surrounded by the juarists, it went, following the seat of the city (Maximilien thought naively that it would have the right to be led to Veracruz, and re-embarked on the first ship for Europe). On the contrary, been captive, the weather was condemned to death. The June 19th 1867 in Santiago de Querétaro, it was carried out with its generals, Miramon and Mejia.

French battle order and foreign forces

On the 38  493 French soldiers envoys in Mexico (either 20  % of the French forces), 6  654 died of wounds or disease.

In 1863, the Khedive of Egypt offered a battalion of 450 soldiers to the Mexican Empire, of which many Sudan supposed boards more resistant to the tropical diseases. Starting from 1864 - 1865, Austria-Hungary sent 7000 men (Polish, Hungarian…). 2000 Belgian volunteers formed the regiment Impératrice Charlotte.

The French units implied in this forwarding include/understand:

  • the 7 {{E}}, 51 {{E}}, 62 {{E}}, 81 {{E}}, 95 {{E}} and 99 {{E}} Regiment S of Infantry of Line;
  • the 1 {{er}}, 7 {{E}}, 18 {{E}} and 20 {{E}} of hunters to foot;
  • the 1 {{er}}, 2 {{E}} and 3 {{E}} Zouaves;
  • the 2nd battalion of light infantry of Africa;
  • a Battalion of walk of Algerian Riflemen.
  • the foreign regiment, first of the regiments of the Foreign legion which is distinguished with the Bataille from Camerone;

Precision on the engagement of the Foreign legion

Initially, the Legion was not to take part in the countryside, it had it as punishment of its Officier S which delivered a petition which désobligea the Minister for the war.

The regiment arrives on March 25th 1863 and is then seen entrusting the ungrateful task to escort convoys between Veracruz and Puebla. But the 3rd company illustrates the April 30th 1863 during the combat of Camerone (in Spanish Camaron repabtized later Villa Tejeda) which remains in the history like the illustration of the sacrifice in the name of the word given and the execution of the mission to the danger of its so necessary life; are today always a policy. Although it acts for the Legion of a demolished , it is commemorated by the legionaries with as much enthusiasm than by the Mexicans, who recognize without reserve the courage of the legionaries (those went only when there remained only three combatants, the Maine corporal and the legionaries Wensel and Constantin), which tried an ultimate load with the bayonet! The Danjou captain lost the life there and left his wood hand there which was retouvée two years later by an Austrian lieutenant. This hand became an invaluable object for all the legionaries.

From December 1864 at February 1865, the units of the regiment take part in the seat of Oaxacca.

July 3rd 1866, 3rd and 5th company S of the 4th battalion delivers a combat comparable with that of Camerone. Under the orders of the Captain Frenet, the 125 legionaries encircled in the hacienda of the Incarnacion resist victoriously during 48 hours more than 600 Mexicans.

Total of the losses in the forwarding of Mexico: 22 officers, 32 warrant officers and 414 legionaries.

The agreement made with the emperor Maximilien indicated that the Foreign legion was to pass to the service Mexico; as the French adventure in Mexico turns to the disaster, the Legion returns to France.

Principal battles of forwarding

See too

Random links:1103 | Hamlet | 14 de noviembre | Dourges | List publications by editors - Dargaud - D | Inteligencia maquiavélica | Sav Breizh | Konstantínos Karamanlís (1956-)