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[62], On 12 November 1864, a French squadron under De Kergrist, arrived at Mazatlan, and demanded a surrender under the threat of bombardment. [120], On 19 December 1866, Napoleon III made it known that all troops would now be withdrawn, ahead of the previously laid out schedule. Maximilian was actually something of a liberal and deeply unsure about the whole business, but under pressure from Napoleon he had little choice but to accept the crown in October. Republican General Antonio Rosales was killed in August in an attempt to retake lamos. [156], By 1867, Seward shifted American policy from thinly veiled sympathy for the republican government of Jurez to open threat of war to induce a French withdrawal. Today, French human rights organizations are receiving daily calls from Russian soldiers who want to defect from the Russian army. On 10 January 1863, a French squadron bombarded the Mexican Pacific port of Acapulco and on 3 February, Forey finally set out for Puebla. The Liberal party was almost unchallenged as a political force during the first years of the "restored republic". Juarez moved his government south to Durango on 26 December 1866. Teetering on the verge of bankruptcy, with a large army to pay, her once lucrative trade revenues dropped dramatically in the years that followed the expulsion of the Spanish. When did France invade Mexico? [65] Towards the end of 1864, General Courtois d'Hurbal entered Oaxaca by way of Yanuitlan and other columns followed from Orizaba and Mexico City. Mexican Generals Porfirio Diaz and Ignacio Zaragoza retreated to El Ingenio, and then headed towards Puebla.[27]. The Republicans had by then captured Guanajuato, and then Morelia. In just over six weeks, German armed forces overran Belgium and the Netherlands, drove the British Expeditionary Force from the Continent, captured Paris, and forced the surrender of the French government. French control of the country still centered on Veracruz and Mexico City but was gradually expanding. The Republican general Mariano Escobedo figured out his intentions and intercepted him at San Jacinto at 1 February, leading to a complete rout. Operating effectively in the Veracruz region, the Corps suffered 126 casualties until being withdrawn to Egypt in May 1867. [55], The republicans also still held southern states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Tabasco, and Chiapas where troops led by Porfirio Diaz maintained a formidable hold.[56]. All of the officers were taken prisoner and were intended to be transported to France though Ortega and Porfirio Diaz would escape before being sent out of the country.[32]. Contents1 Why did [] Though heavy guerrilla resistance and events elsewhere would ultimately lead to their defeat, it is an interesting counterfactual to contemplate how history might have turned out differently if the US had had a powerful European-backed Empire on its southern border. Original music by Diane Wong, Elisheba Ittoop . [64], The Imperialists however hoped to soon begin operations to dislodge Porfirio Diaz from his stronghold in the south, and began to survey the land and build roads. As a crew of over 500 boarded HMS Captain, none of them knew their fate was sealed. The accession of Benito Juarez a brilliant nationalistic politician of indigenous descent changed this in 1858, as he began to suspend all interest payments to Mexicos foreign creditors. [28] On 28 April 1862, French forces headed towards Puebla. Mexicos Conservative party was discredited for supporting Maximilian, effectively leaving Juarezs Liberal party in a one-party state. France's decision to invade Mexico was also influenced by the possibility of gaining territory in the process. "I'm afraid to die" "I don't want to join the war". France and Italy see Germany has hanged himself, and they find a note that they assume to be a suicide note written by Germany. On 8 May, at Battle of San Lorenzo, Bazaine and Marquez defeated Ignacio Comonfort who intended to provide reinforcements to Puebla. Dan talks to Adam Zamoyski, a historian who has recently written a new biography of Napoleon. Why did the France invade Mexico in the battle of puebla? French-Mexican War 1861-1867. [143], The Imperialists now planned to fight their way out of Queretaro, and as preparation Miramon planned an attack on the Cimatario Hill on 27 April, to which he advanced with 2000 men. It then turns out that it was actually a love letter from Poland and Germany hanged himself after reading it because. The annual celebration traces its origins back to when France invaded Mexico. [121], In late December, the French evacuated Guanjuato, rendezvousing in Quertaro with retreating troops from San Luis Potosi, and then heading towards the port of Vera Cruz. By 1941, Hitler was champing at the bit to attack. Unfortunately for the Imperialists, before these plans were carried out they were betrayed by Colonel Miguel Lopez, and on the night of 14 May , he opened the gates of Queretaro to the Republican forces in exchange for a sum of gold. [102] The French withdrew from Guaymas in September, and around the same time Langberg was killed in a battle that led the Republicans to take the town of Ures. A view of Tiraspol, the self-declared capital of Transnistria in April 2022. Invoking the Monroe Doctrine, the U.S. government asserted that it would not tolerate a lasting French presence on the continent. . [44] Castagny was left in charge of Zacatecas, while Douay went to the relief of Colonel Garnier at Guadalajara. No. Germany had twice as many airplanes as Poland did and its planes were more advanced. He subsequently captured Ciudad Tula on 4 June, and cut off communications from the imperialist held Tampico[82], Bazaine dispatched generals Auguste Henri Brincourt and Baron Neigre towards the Mapimi border in order to go after Negrete. 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"When Mexico Had the Blues: A Transatlantic Tale of Bonds, Bankers, and Nationalists, 18621910,", This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 22:58. The city was occupied on the 17. The Imperialists now focused on capturing the rest of the north, with troops under General Mejia campaigning along the northern Gulf Coast, and being supported by Charles Dupin's anti-guerilla corps at Tampico, and Aymard's brigade at San Luis Potosi. After many decades of civil wars, Mexico had finally exhausted itself and the general Porfirio Daz had forced peace through his regime with no big rebellions or coups occurring. [158] 6,654[9] :231 French died, including 4,830 from disease. Upon hearing of the fall of Puebla, President Juarez prepared to evacuate the capital and move the government to San Luis Potosi. Diaz encroached upon this territory in the Spring of 1866, notably at Jamiltepec and Putla, upon which he sought to cut off communications between Oaxaca and Puebla. Meanwhile, Colonel Pierre Joseph Jeanningros headed up from San Luis Potosi in order to rendezvous with imperialist forces at Saltillo. Republican guerilla commanders Catarino Fragoso, Len Ugalde, and others continued to wage warfare against any town occupied by the French. [109], In November 1866, Matamoros fell to the Republicans with the aid of American troops. Vidaurrist troops captured Monterrey on 15 August 1864, with President Juarez barely escaping, and pursued as far as Parras in a bullet-riddled carriage. The Imperial Guard, the Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, Engineers, Administration, Gen D'Armerie. The French army had about 6,000 soldiers and the Mexicans had only about 4,500. Olvera nonetheless managed to retreat to and hold Matamoros, but the Imperialist General Tuce who had arrived with reinforcements from Monterey was obliged to retreat. What are the two main reasons this battle is significant to Mexico? [100], Durango was evacuated by November, and Castagny withdrew to Leon leading to a loss of the former province to the Republicans. It helped replace the republic with a monarchy, known as the Second Mexican Empire, ruled by Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine which ruled colonial Mexico at its inception in the 16th century. Why did France invade Mexico in Battle of Puebla? Captain Yarka of the Romanian Army served with the 3rd Regiment of Chasseurs d'Afrique as a volunteer, keeping the same rank. It was also a political and military disaster for Napoleon, who would be deposed after defeat by the Prussian Empire in 1870. He was given reinforcements by General Jeanningros in April. It was emphasized that the three powers merely wanted to open negotiations regarding their claims of damages. Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise. The Republicans still controlled the sparsely populated frontier states of the north, where President Juarez still led his government-in-exile in the city of Monterrey. [124], Unfortunately for the Empire, the Western and Eastern military district were in possession of the Republicans, as well as the region south of Puebla, while the few remaining central provinces were overrun by hostile bands and about to be invaded by the Republican armies. Campbell's New Revised Complete Guide and Descriptive Book of Mexico. However, when the British discovered that France had an ulterior motive and unilaterally planned to seize Mexico, the United Kingdom separately negotiated an agreement with Mexico to settle the debt issues and withdrew from the country; Spain subsequently left as well. The war was nominally fought because French citizens living in Mexico during a prolonged period of strife had their investments ruined and the Mexican government refused any sort of reparations, but it also had to do with long-standing . Following the fight, an enraged Emperor Napoleon III ordered that over 30,000 additional troops be dispatched to Mexico to quell the uprising. However, the response of the Ottoman governor would come through cannon shots towards one of the ships in the French blockade. The pretext for this attack was that Mexico had refused to honor its foreign debt, but the real reason for the invasion was that Napoleon III saw an opportunity to expand his empire in Latin-America while US states feuded amongst themselves. Why did France invade Mexico in 1862?War and history, though not necessarily commendable, tend to go hand in hand. [104], In July, 1865 Arteaga had advanced towards Tacmbaro with three thousand men where he was routed by Lieutenant Colonel Van der Smissen with less than one thousand troops. However, Emperor Maximilian disagreed with the French emperor on Mexican resources going to anyone but Mexicans. [1] Turkish officials have deported over 9,000 of these foreigners since 2011. Miramon urged Maximilian to leave as well but, the latter chose to stay. [9]:231 Among these losses, 1,918 of the deaths were from the regiment of the French Foreign Legion. v. t. e. The second French intervention in Mexico ( Spanish: Segunda intervencin francesa en Mxico ), also known as the Second Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867), [15] was an invasion of the Second Federal Republic of Mexico, launched in late 1862 by the Second French Empire, at the invitation of Mexican conservatives. to divert German attention away from the planned invasion site. Campbell, Reau (1907). Create your account. Funds and resources were also lacking. Alarmed, Juarez and his cabinet fled north to Chihuahua, where they would remain a government-in-exile until 1867. [114], Monterey was evacuated by the Imperialists on 25 July 1865, and Saltillo on 4 August. After a council at Orizaba which decided against his abdication, Maximilian intended to return to Mexico City, first remaining at Puebla for nearly three weeks, and making preparations for the campaign. [153], Near the end of the American Civil War, representatives at the 1865 Hampton Roads Conference briefly discussed a proposal for a northsouth reconciliation by a joint action against the French in Mexico. Imperialist commanders Refugio Tnori and Almada were overtaken and shot with their families by the Republicans. [147] He believed he had to send a strong message that Mexico would not tolerate any government imposed by foreign powers.[147]. Pg.38 . Mexican Monarchist victory during the majority of the war: Mexican Republican victory in the final year: The second French intervention in Mexico (Spanish: Segunda intervencin francesa en Mxico), also known as the Second Franco-Mexican War (18611867),[15] was an invasion of the Second Federal Republic of Mexico, launched in late 1862 by the Second French Empire, at the invitation of Mexican conservatives. University of Texas. General Staff of the army. Why did Russia invade Ukraine? Countless military conflicts ranging from . The British informed the Mexican government that they now intended to exit the country, and an arrangement was made with the British government to settle its claims. Why did France invade Mexico? Seward then requested that French reinforcements to Mexico should now cease, and that Austria should stop recruiting volunteers for the Mexican expedition. A Mexican puppet General Almonte was installed as President, but Napoleon clearly decided that this in itself was not enough, for the following month the country was declared to be a Catholic Empire. . : [69], The French colonel Mangin remained at Oaxaca and rearranged the civilian government. Santiago Vidaurri, the governor of Nuevo Len and Coahuila had broken with Juarez, as early as March, 1864 over the administration and finances of his state, and had even held a referendum on joining the Empire. Almonte now attempted to consolidate the Mexican pro-French movement. When the time arrived however, a false alarm arose that the Imperialist headquarters were under attack, leading to the assulat on San Gregorio to be put off. Miramon escaped with Castillo and took refuge in Queretaro. The French intervention in Mexico, initially supported by the United Kingdom and Spain, was a consequence of Mexican President Benito Jurez's imposition of a two-year moratorium of loan-interest payments from July 1861 to French, British, and Spanish creditors. The high point for the French came in the summer of 1863, when they managed to capture the capital and install their own regime. He was not able to be involved in the invasion of Normandy by was serving as a decoy. [119], Guadalajara was abandoned by the French on 12 December 1866, and imperial forces were left under General Gutierrez. Pachuca was captured by the republicans in November, and Perote fell in January, 1867. The French and Austrian governments subsequently complied. The decision to invade Vietnam was made by Napoleon III in July 1857. Why did France invade Mexico where was the Battle How did the Battle end? [71] On 19 May, Salazar with four hundred men defeated a Franco-Mexican force of seven hundred at Los Reyes. [48], Douay headed south, pursuing the Republican guerilla chiefs Simn Gutirrez and Antonio Rojas, routing the former, and destroying two factories for arms and powder near Cocula. A few days later, the Republicans, Simn Gutirrez and Antonio Rojas were defeated near the American border by the Imperialist Carlos Rivas, with French reinforcements. The three elected were Juan Almonte, Archbishop Labastida, and Jose Mariano Salas. Basically, the battle is famous because the Mexicans weren't supposed to win. Diaz headed south to Oaxaca and managed to increase his troops to eight thousand. Napoleon III, Emperor of France, had more ambitious aims, however, and ignored the terms of the treaty by advancing to take the city of Campeche by seaborne assault, before consolidating this new gain with an army. [16], After the administration of Mexican President Benito Jurez placed a moratorium on foreign debt payments in 1861, France, the United Kingdom, and Spain agreed to the Convention of London, a joint effort to ensure that debt repayments from Mexico would be forthcoming. [43], Douay, with General Castagny headed north, succeeding in capturing Aguascalientes and Zacatecas by 7 February 1864. A fire has broken out at Europe's largest nuclear power plant in the city of Enerhodar in Ukraine after an attack by Russian troops, said the city's mayor. [94] Maximilian however had convinced Bazaine to retain Chihuahua and an expedition of five hundred troops then towards the city led by Jean-Baptiste Billot. [18] The emperor himself, however proved to be of liberal inclination and continued some of the Jurez government's most notable liberal measures. well, because Poland. On May 5, 1862, the Mexican army defeated the French in the Battle of Puebla. Republican General Ortega and several guerilla bands were driven back into the Sierra Hermosa after Manuel Doblado was repulsed by Toms Mej in the former's attempted assault on Monterrey. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link . [citation needed]. American volunteers were joining the Republicans, and Juarez now taking refuge at El Paso del Norte expressed confidence that American pressure could play a decisive role in influencing French withdrawal. [31] Forey reached Orizaba on 24 October 1862, and began planning another siege of Puebla, the defense of which had now passed on to Jess Gonzlez Ortega after General Zaragoza had died of Typhoid fever on 8 September. In other words, the Soviet Union had served its purpose in 1939 and 1940, protecting Germany's rear in the east. [146] Republican troops quickly overwhelmed the city and Miramon, Mejia, and Maximilian were taken prisoner. "[157], At its peak in 1863, the French expeditionary force counted 38,493 men[6] :740 (which represented 16.25% of the French army). [89], On 2 October 1865, the imperial government passed the so-called "Black Decree" which declared that anyone caught engaging in guerrilla warfare against the Empire would be court-martialed and executed within twenty four hours. President Juarez was now confident of his ultimate victory, writing that "the United States will never permit [Maximilian] to consolidate his power, and his sacrifices and victories will have counted for nothing."[79]. Thirdly and finally, Mexicos natural resources and mines had massively enriched the Spanish Empire centuries earlier, and Napoleon had decided that it was time for the French to receive the same treatment. The first important battle of the infamous adventure, the Cinco de Mayo or First Battle of Puebla, was a French defeat: in 1862, six thousand five hundred French soldiers failed to take the city of Puebla, defen. [134], On 5 March, the Republican forces came into view of the defenders at Queretaro, and began to prepare for a siege. In 1838, in what may be the silliest war in history, France invaded Mexico--all because of a French pastry shop. . [105], In Michoacan Regules were repeatedly repulsed to the point that his forces dissolved in April, 1866. LOVE, POVERTY, WAR AND Also by Christopher Hitchens BLOOD, CLASS AND EMPIRE: The Enduring Anglo-American Relationship A LONG SHORT WAR: The Postponed Liberation of Iraq WHY ORWELL MATTERS LEFT HOOKS, RIGHT CROSSES: A Decade of Political Writing (edited with Christopher Caldwell) LETTERS TO A YOUNG CONTRARIAN THE TRIAL OF HENRY KISSINGER BLAMING THE VICTIMS: Spurious Scholarship and the . Date. [115], Douay evacuated Matehuala on 28 October, then being the northernmost imperialist post. France was considered extremely potent militarily when it attacked Mexico. [41], French general Bazaine occupied the city of Guadalajara on 5 January 1864. [166], At least one Romanian, an officer, served with the French forces. The Father of History: Who Was Herodotus. The Republicans did not immediately take Parrs, but the French withdrawal allowed them to take the town in June 1866. Troops were left in San Luis Potosi under Mejia, yet the small prospect of victory induced them to retreat on Christmas Eve to San Felipe in Guanajuato. French intervention in Mexico or Franco-Mexican war may refer to: Pastry War (1838-1839), the first French intervention in Mexico. This prevented French Emperor Napoleon III from supplying weapons to the Confederacy during the Civil War. 'This deliverance was so great that I then did think if ever the Lord did bring me to shore again I should live like one come and risen from the dead.'4 Differences of . lamos was captured by the Republican general ngel Martnez with forces from Sinaloa, and dealt out retributions to the Mayo and Yaqui tribes that had allied themselves with the Empire. Secondly, there was the issue of international politics. [96], General Tomas Mejia and French naval commander Georges Charles Clou protested to the United States regarding the aid in material, supplies, hospital care and troops being lent to the Republicans but the commandant at Clarksville, at the mouth of the Rio Grande, replied that such troops could no longer be considered as belonging to the United States military. After a stunning defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla (celebrated today in Mexico as Cinco de Mayo) in 1862, the invaders secured Mexico City in 1863 and sent Benito Juarez fleeing. After the victory, the Conservative party was so thoroughly discredited by its alliance with the invading French troops that it effectively became defunct. Such a treaty would have allowed U.S. construction in Mexico and protection from European forces in exchange for a payment of $4million to the heavily indebted government of Benito Jurez. Regulas ventured out into Guanajuato where he was checked and instead hastened back to Michoacan where he captured Tacambaro on 11 April, where the imperialists lost a significant number of Belgian mercenaries. By 1866 Europe was in crisis with Prussia fighting a major war against the Hapsburg Empire, and the French Emperor faced a stark choice between war with the resurgent United States or withdrawing his troops from Mexico. The intervention came as a civil war, the Reform War, had just concluded, and the intervention allowed the Conservative opposition against the liberal social and economic reforms of President Jurez to take up their cause once again. [141], As any news of Marquez failed to arrive, a mission was sent to Mexico City to see what happened. After a Republican assault on Parras, the imperialist commander Briant came up from Saltillo, reinstalled the imperialist prefect Campos, on 20 February. By creating a European Catholic Empire in the region, French ties with the Catholic Hapsburg Empire, which she had been at war with as recently as 1859, would grow stronger in a time of shifting power structures in Europe with Bismarcks Prussia growing ever-stronger. [101], In the northwest provinces of Sonora and Sinaloa the French were mostly confined to Guaymas and Mazatlan, though the imperial General Edvard Emile Langberg held positions in the interior with the aid of the Opata natives. It was also a good time to get involved, with the US locked in a destructive civil war. In December 1861, Emperor Napoleon III invaded Mexico on a pretext that Mexico had refused to pay its foreign debt, though in retrospect, Emperor Napoleon III wanted to expand his empire in Latin-America and this became known as the Second French intervention in Mexico. [97] The sack of Bagdad would leave the French cautious, and prevent them from active campaigning near the border, instead focusing on consolidating their hold a few strong positions, maintaining communications with French held ports. [21] French and British forces arrived on 7 January 1862. Arriving at Puebla on May 4, they were coming off a . It was the result not only of missionary propaganda but also, after 1850, of the upsurge of French capitalism, which generated the need for overseas markets and the desire for a larger French share of the Asian territories conquered by the West. [129] Maximilian reached Queretaro on 19 February, and was received by enthusiasm Miramon and the other generals who held a formal reception for the emperor. Coordinating the campaign was remarkably swift, with all three countrys fleets arriving in mid-December and advancing without meeting much resistance until they had reached their agreed destinations at the border of the coastal state of Veracruz. On 16 April 1862, the French issued a proclamation inviting Mexicans to join them in establishing a new government. So Poland found itself overmatched. Putman, William Lowell (2001) Arctic Superstars. The war in the East can be seen . With their armies defeated and their government fled, the citizens of Mexico City had little choice but to surrender when the victorious French troops arrived in June. Why did France invade Mexico in Battle of Puebla? Uniform of a French Foreign legionary during the Mexican campaign. Marquez proceeded to occupy Colima and by 18 November 1864, Marquez had captured the port of Manzanillo. The French intervention ended with the Republican-led government being more stable and both internal and external forces were now kept at bay. Three persons died on Friday while three others sustained varying degrees of injury in a multiple accident at U-turn, by Total filling station, Ogere, on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.The Spokesman . The battle, which ended in a Mexican victory, is celebrated in the national calendar of Mexican holidays as Cinco de Mayo (5th of May). In 1862, the French had one of the best armies in the world. After reinforcements arrived the Republican forces led by Jos Lpez Uraga attempted to recapture Morelia, only to be defeated by Marquez. The conflict began in 1861, when Benito Juarez, then the president of Mexico, stopped paying interest on the money he owed several countries, including France. They succeeded in capturing all of the towns along the Rio Grande from Piedras Negras downstream. The US didn't invade Europe until the Soviets had repelled the German invasion - 1,000 miles deep into the Soviet Union - and were on the verge of entering Eastern Europe. Miramon planned to lead a counter attack to recover the hill of San Gregorio on 17 March. Bazaine and the last of the French troops embarked for Toulon on 12 March.[123]. On 14 December 1861, a Spanish fleet sailed into and took possession of the port of Veracruz. By creating a continental European power on Americas doorstep, they could challenge its supremacy over the continent. The imperialists evacuated the city on 19 December, and headed for Guanajuato. The first major battle of the war however ended in crushing defeat. The town of Orizaba joined him and so did the port of Veracruz and Isla del Carmen. In an event still celebrated in Mexico asCinco de Mayo day, Napoleons forces were defeated at the battle of Puebla, and forced to retreat back to the state of Veracruz. Shortly after the establishment of the imperial government in April 1864, United States Secretary of State William H. Seward, while maintaining U.S. neutrality, expressed U.S. discomfort at the imposition of a monarchy in Mexico: "Nor can the United States deny that their own safety and destiny to which they aspire are intimately dependent on the continuance of free republican institutions throughout America."[152]. [110] On 9 November, the imperialist Generals Marquez and Miramon returned from Europe to aid in the war effort. The executive was then officially changed into the Regency of the Mexican Empire. In December 1861, Emperor Napoleon III invaded Mexico on a pretext that Mexico had refused to pay its foreign debt, though in retrospect, Emperor Napoleon III wanted to expand his empire in Latin-America and this became known as the Second French intervention in Mexico. On 16 June the French government nominated 35 Mexican citizens to constitute a Junta Superior de Gobierno who were then tasked with electing a triumvirate that was to serve as the executive of the new government. The Mexican army defeated the French, the best army in the world at the time, and it was the last time a foreign country invaded the "Americas" (Canada-Chile).