The Real Cinco De Mayo

Cinco de Mayo has become a day of celebration, not only in Mexico, but in many cities in the United States. It is the biggest day of the year for the Mexican restaurants and they generally do their best to play it up. It is also quickly becoming a rival of St. Patrick's Day as a drinking holiday. In the Washington, DC area Cinco de Mayo is definitely a reason to party.

Many people assume that Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day. That is not true in a real sense but it may be true in a psychological sense. On May 5, 1862 General Ignacio Zaragoza won a great battle against the French Army. Zaragoza's forces were greatly outnumbered and the French Army at the time was considered one of the best fighting forces in the world.

In 1862, Mexico had a democratically elected president. President Benito Juarez (a man of Native-American heritage) was just settling his new government in. European troops landed at the beginning of the year. The French, British, and Spanish troops appeared in Mexico at that time. The British and Spanish made deals with the new government and quickly withdrew. The French Army had another purpose when it landed at Veracruz. Their purpose was to reestablish Europe's control over Mexico. They expected an easy march to Mexico City where they would install Maximilan as emperor; Maximilan was an Austrian Archduke from Hapsburg.

French Emperor Napoleon III had little regard for the United States and even less for Mexico. He expected no resistance with United States tied up in its own civil war. The eight thousand French troops assembled and started their march west to Mexico City. The French had every reason to be confident. They had the finest equipment, a newly reorganized Foreign Legion, and a record of being undefeated in the last fifty years. On May 5, 1862 the French army approached the town of Puebla, 100 miles east of Mexico City.

There General Zaragoza awaited the French with 4000 troops and a brilliant plan. He was supported by his cavalry leader Colonel Porfirio Diaz; Colonal Diaz would later go on to be president and ultimately dictator of Mexico. On this day it was the excellent horsemanship of him and his soldiers that would be highlighted. From all accounts French strategy was nonexistent. The French cavalry took Diaz's bait and chased them to their own demise; while the French infantry officers ordered an ill-conceived charge through a driving rain storm. As the French troops slogged through the mud in the open fields as Native-Americans drove hundreds of stampeding cattle into their ranks.

When it was over the French Army was smashed. It would take them a year to recover and return with a more serious attitude. In 1863 the French did return and capture Mexico but the spirit of the Mexican people would not be captured again.

What most people don't realize was how much that battle did for the people of the United States. Napoleon III fully intended to use his position in Mexico to supply the Confederate Army. This battle delayed his plans by over a year and, by the time he was in position to support the Confederacy, it was too late. If French had established strong supply lines to the Confederacy by early in 1863; our history may have turned out very different.

I believe all Americans should visit Mexican restaurants and say thank you to our southern neighbors. Cinco de Mayo was as much a victory for America as it was for Mexico.

Sources of historical information.

Cinco History

http://www.vivacincodemayo.org/history.htm

MSN Encarta - Cinco de Mayo
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_701509053/Cinco_de_Mayo.html