A la Magnanima Nacion Mexicana

The Pastry War, also known as the First French Intervention in Mexico, took place from November 1838 until March 1839 between Mexico and France. This short-lived war occurred during the Centralist Mexican Republic era, a period of political unrest with various groups competing for control of the country or to retain control of their own territory. This instability led to several instances of property damage and looting. A French baker, Monsieur Remontel, claimed that in 1828, Mexican officers looted his bakery in Tacubaya, then a small town outside of Mexico City. While his shop was appraised at 1,000 pesos, Remontel appealed to the Mexican government for 60,000 pesos in damages, an amount the Mexican government refused to pay. Remontel then took his case to the French government, which demanded 600,000 pesos from the Mexican government to cover damages from multiple claims of French nationals. The Mexican government refused to pay, and the French government retaliated by sending a fleet of French ships to blockade Mexican ports in April 1838. The blockade continued as diplomatic talks between the two sides failed to come to an agreement. In November of 1838, French forces fired on the fort in San Jaun de Ulua. In response, the Mexican government issued a declaration of war. France proceeded to successfully invade the city of Veracruz, an action that brought Antonio López de Santa Anna out of retirement. It is during this fight that Santa Anna lost his leg. With the ongoing blockade and capture of Veracruz draining the Mexican economy, Mexican officials began negotiations with the French, and the two countries reached an agreement in March 1839. Mexico agreed to pay the 600,000 pesos, and France agreed to withdraw its ships. While the war was short-lived, it had a lasting impact on the economy and the fragile political situation in Mexico.