War of Pastry makings

The war of pastry making (in Spanish Will precede Intervención Francesa in Mexico City or Guerra of los Pasteles literally war of the cakes) was an invasion of the Mexico by the French armies in 1838.

Context

The war occurred of the disorder generalized which existed in the first years of the Mexican République, between the end of the war of independence with the Spain, and the beginning of the colonization of the territories of north by the the United States of America. The foreigners whose properties were damaged or destroyed were generally in impossibility of obtaining the least compensation, the successive governments had neither the will nor the means of compensating anyone, Mexicains or foreigners. Those called upon their own country to obtain from the assistance.

A Pastrycook French, affirming that its shop had been devastated by plunderers, called upon the France of Louis-Philippe Ier. Assisting from its national, France required: 600000 pesos in repair (that is to say 3 franc million gold) then when the payment did not come, sent a squadron under the command of the Rear-admiral Charles Baudin, to make the blockade of all the Mexican ports of the Atlantic Ocean since the Yucatán until the Río Grande.

See also: Battle of San Juan de Ulúa

This fleet easily succeeds in coming to end from the garrison from the Mexican fortress from San Juan de Ulua because its artillery was obsolete and that it was built out of corals (will piedra will mucara) what made it more vulnerable than if it had been built out of stone. The troops could unload as of the December 4th 1838 and take the port of Veracruz.

With their stopped trade, the Mexicans started to make pass their goods since the port of Corpus Christi to Texas, then through Río Bravo. Fearing that France does not block also the ports of the Texas, a militia texane started to patrol in bay of Corpus Christi to prevent the Mexican trade. One of these bands gave up its goods of a hundred barrels of flour on the beach with the mouth of bay, then giving this name to cliff.

However, acting without explicit authorization of the Mexican government Antonio López de Santa Anna courageously carried out troops against the French. In a combat, Santa Anna which showed an exceptional physical courage, was wounded with a leg, which had to be partially amputated, but before the defenders of Veracruz cannot do something of effective, the president Anastasio Bustamante promised to pay them: 600000 pesos and France withdrew its forces. The last fortifications were released in April 1839.

The Mexican government following these events gave the title of heroic (always into force in 2007) to the port of Veracruz

Composition of the Squadron

22 buildings of which:

3 frigates
1 corvette

4000 Men (primarily of the sailors) of which:

3 company S of Marine artillery
29 minors (Genius)

Losses

Mexican: approximately 95 died and a piece of the leg of the general French Santa-Anna
: 12 dead

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