Pastry War facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pastry War
Épisode de l'expédition du Mexique en 1838, Horace Vernet
Date 27 November 1838 – 9 March 1839 (3 months, 1 week and 3 days) Location Veracruz, Mexico Result French victory
Belligerents
France	Mexican Republic
Commanders and leaders
Charles Baudin	Santa Anna
Strength
3,000	3,229 1 fort
Casualties and losses
121 killed and wounded	224 killed and wounded 1 fort captured

The Pastry War was a short but important conflict between France and Mexico. It happened from November 1838 to March 1839. This war is also known as the first French attack on Mexico.

It started because a French pastry chef claimed Mexican officers ruined his shop. France then sent its navy to block Mexican ports. They also captured a strong fort in Veracruz. The war ended with British help. This conflict was the first of two times France invaded Mexico.

Why the War Started

Mexico's Early Challenges

After Mexico became independent, there was a lot of fighting inside the country. Different groups wanted to control the government. This fighting often led to homes and shops being damaged or robbed.

Regular Mexican citizens found it hard to get help for their losses. They had no one to speak for them. Foreigners whose property was damaged also struggled to get money from the Mexican government. So, they asked their own governments for help.

French Trade and Claims

France and Mexico traded goods even before Mexico became fully independent in 1830. After they set up official relations, France quickly became Mexico's third biggest trade partner.

However, France did not have special trade deals like the United States or the United Kingdom. This meant French goods had higher taxes when they entered Mexico. French citizens living in Mexico also had many complaints about their businesses being harmed.

Key Events of the War

The Pastry Chef's Complaint

Charles Baudin, a French admiral.

The war got its name from a French pastry chef named Monsieur Remontel. He complained to the French King, Louis-Philippe. Remontel said that in 1832, Mexican officers looted his pastry shop. His shop was in Tacubaya, a town near Mexico City.

Mexican sources, however, said the officers just refused to pay their bills. Remontel demanded 60,000 pesos for the damage. This was a huge amount, as his shop was worth less than 1,000 pesos.

France Demands Payment

Besides Remontel's complaint, other French citizens also had issues. For example, French shops were robbed in 1828. Also, a French citizen was executed in 1837, accused of piracy.

Because of these complaints, the French prime minister, Louis-Mathieu Molé, made a demand in 1838. He asked Mexico to pay 600,000 pesos in damages. This was about 3 million French Francs. It was a massive sum of money for that time. A typical daily wage in Mexico City was only about one peso.

French Attack on Veracruz

French troops attack the home of General Mariano Arista in Veracruz, 1838.

Mexico's President, Anastasio Bustamante, did not pay the money. So, the French king sent a fleet of ships. Rear Admiral Charles Baudin led this fleet. His orders were to block all Mexican ports on the Gulf of Mexico. This blockade stretched from Yucatán to the Rio Grande.

The French also had to bomb the strong Mexican fort of San Juan de Ulúa. Then, they were to capture the city of Veracruz. Veracruz was Mexico's most important port on the Gulf coast. French forces took Veracruz by December 1838. After this, Mexico officially declared war on France.

Smuggling and Santa Anna's Return

With trade stopped by the blockade, Mexicans started sneaking goods into the country. They used places like Corpus Christi, which was then part of the Republic of Texas. Texas worried that France might block their ports too. So, Texan soldiers patrolled Corpus Christi Bay to stop Mexican smugglers.

One group of smugglers left about a hundred barrels of flour on a beach. This is how the place called Flour Bluff got its name. The United States also sent a ship, the Woodbury, to help the French blockade.

Meanwhile, Antonio López de Santa Anna came out of retirement. He was a famous Mexican military leader. He went to Veracruz to check its defenses. He offered to fight the French. The government told him to fight them by any means.

Santa Anna led Mexican forces against the French. During a small fight, he was wounded in the leg by French cannon fire. His leg had to be removed. It was even buried with military honors. Santa Anna used his injury to gain public support. This helped him return to power.

Peace and Its Aftermath

Treaty and Unpaid Debts

The French forces left Mexico on March 9, 1839. This happened after a peace treaty was signed. In the treaty, the Mexican government agreed to pay 600,000 pesos to French citizens for damages. France also received promises for future trade deals.

However, Mexico never paid this money. This unpaid debt became one of the reasons for the second French invasion of Mexico in 1861.

Restoring Relations

Mexico won the second French intervention in 1867. The French Empire also collapsed in 1870. After these events, Mexico and France did not have official diplomatic relations for a while. They finally started talking again in 1880. Both countries then agreed to drop all claims related to these wars.