How Did the Mexicans Protect Their Country During Cinco De Mayo?

Cinco de Mayo will be here before you know it and if you are like millions of other Americans, you are probably looking forward to the holiday and planning to celebrate this day in some manner or another. However, how much do you know about this holiday? You probably know that Cinco de Mayo is a holiday in Mexico - but many people mistakenly believe that this holiday marks the country's independence from Spain.

As a matter of fact, Mexico's Independence Day is September 16th; Cinco de Mayo celebrates an important event in the Franco-Mexican War. If you're not up to speed on your Mexican history, you may be curious about finding out just what exactly this holiday celebrates - for an answer to how did the Mexicans protect their country during Cinco de Mayo, keep reading.

In the early 1860s, the relatively young nation of Mexico was in serious financial trouble and borrowed large sums from England and France. In order to help his nation get back on its feet, then-President of Mexico Benito Juarez decided to declare a temporary moratorium on interest payments to these countries. Displeased, delegations from England and Mexico arrived shortly after - while Juarez was able to arrive at a deal with the English, the French had other goals in mind and invaded, intending to place the Hapsburg prince Maximilian as the ruler of Mexico.

Naturally, the Mexicans were less than thrilled with the idea, to put things mildly and resisted. At the time, few would have foreseen the eventual Mexican victory over the French, who had one of the world's largest and best equipped professional armies at the time. However, Napoleon III had not counted on how fierce Mexican resistance to foreign rule would be - while it would not be until 1867 that Mexico would finally expel the French invaders, Mexico fought the French every step of the way.

It was May 5th, 1862 when the Battle of Puebla took place, the battle that Mexicans and Americans alike celebrate during the Cinco de Mayo holiday. A force of approximately 4,000 Mexican soldiers commanded by General Ignacio Zaragoza Saguin faced off against a French force who outnumbered them two to one. Victory didn't seem to be in the cards for the fledgling Mexican army, but thanks to some brilliant tactics by General Zaragoza and a stroke of luck in the form of inclement weather, the Mexicans routed the French and won a victory which while it did not win the war then and there, showed the French that Mexico was not to be taken lightly.

Inspired by this victory, the Mexicans fought on and prevailed over the French in 1867 with a little assistance from the United States, who had recently fought their own Civil War. Mexico has been free and independent from foreign domination ever since; and this spirit of resistance is what we celebrate on Cinco de Mayo each year.

Source by Christine Szalay-Kudra