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{{Short description|1838–1839 war between Mexico and France}}

{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Pastry War
| partof            = 
| image             = Épisode de l'expédition du Mexique en 1838 (cropped).jpg
| caption           = ''Episode of the Mexican expedition in 1838'' <br /> [[Horace Vernet]], 1841
| date              = 27 November 1838 – 9 March 1839<br>({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=11|day1=27|year1=1838|month2=03|day2=09|year2=1839}})
| place             = [[Veracruz]], [[Centralist Republic of Mexico|Mexico]]
| result            = French victory<ref>https://www.britannica.com/event/Pastry-War</ref><ref>https://www.thoughtco.com/the-pastry-war-mexico-vs-france-2136674</ref>
| combatant1        = {{flagcountry|July Monarchy}}
| combatant2        = {{flagcountry|Centralist Republic of Mexico}}
| commander1        = [[Charles Baudin]]
| commander2        = [[Antonio López de Santa Anna|Santa Anna]]
| strength1         = 3,000<br>1 fleet
| strength2         = 3,229<br>1 fort
| casualties1       = 121 killed or wounded
| casualties2       = 224 killed or wounded<br>1 fort captured
| notes             = 
}}

The '''Pastry War''' ({{langx|es|Guerra de los pasteles}}; {{langx|fr|Guerre des Pâtisseries}}), also known as the '''first French intervention in Mexico''' or the '''first Franco-Mexican war''' (1838–1839), began in November 1838 with the naval blockade of some [[Centralist Republic of Mexico|Mexican]] ports and the capture of the fortress of [[San Juan de Ulúa]] in the [[Veracruz (city)|port of Veracruz]] by [[French Armed Forces|French forces]] sent by King [[Louis Philippe I]]. It ended in March 1839 with a [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]]-brokered peace. The intervention followed many claims by French nationals of losses due to unrest in Mexico. This was the first of two French invasions of Mexico; a [[Second French intervention in Mexico|second, larger intervention]] would take place in the 1860s.<ref name="Napoléon">{{cite web|title= The Mexican Campaign, 1862–1867|url= http://www.napoleon.org/en/history-of-the-two-empires/timelines/the-mexican-campaign-1862-1867/|website= Fondation Napoléon }}</ref>

== Background ==
During the early years of the new Mexican republic there was widespread civil disorder as factions competed for control of the country. The fighting often resulted in the destruction or looting of [[private property]]. Average citizens had few options for claiming compensation as they had no representatives to speak on their behalf. Foreigners whose property was damaged or destroyed by rioters or bandits were usually  also unable to obtain compensation from the Mexican government and they began to appeal to their own governments for help and compensation.

Commercial relationships between France and Mexico existed prior to Spain's recognition of [[Independence of Mexico|Mexico's independence]] in 1830, and after the establishment of diplomatic relationships France rapidly became Mexico's third largest trade partner. French goods were subject to higher taxes as France had yet to secure trade agreements similar to those which had been established by the United States and United Kingdom, Mexico's two largest trade partners.<ref name="Penot">{{cite journal|last1=Penot|first1=Jacques|title=L'expansion commerciale française au Mexique et les causes du conflit franco-mexicain de 1838–1839|journal=Bulletin Hispanique |year=1973 |volume=75 |pages=169–201 |doi=10.3406/hispa.1973.4100 |url=http://www.persee.fr/doc/hispa_0007-4640_1973_num_75_1_4100#hispa_0007-4640_1973_num_75_1_T1_0180_0000}}</ref>

==Chronology==
In a complaint to King Louis-Philippe, a French [[pastry]] chef known only as Monsieur Remontel said that in 1832 Mexican officers looted his shop in [[Tacubaya]] (then a town on the outskirts of [[Mexico City]]). Mexican sources said that the officers, from Santa Anna's government, simply refused to pay their bills. Remontel demanded 60,000 pesos as reparations for the damage (his shop was valued at less than 1,000 pesos).<ref name="Aguilar Casas">[http://www.inehrm.gob.mx/Portal/PtMain.php?pagina=pasteles-articulo "Los Pasteles Más Caros de la Historia"], ''Instituto Nacional de Estudios Históricos de las Revoluciones de México''  {{webarchive |url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131018041958/http://www.inehrm.gob.mx/Portal/PtMain.php?pagina=pasteles-articulo |date= October 18, 2013 }}</ref><ref name="Plumas" /><ref name="Coerver" /><ref name="Klein">{{cite web|last1=Klein|first1=Christopher|title=The Pastry War, 175 Years Ago|url=http://www.history.com/news/the-pastry-war-175-years-ago}}</ref>

In view of Remontel's complaint (which gave its name to the ensuing conflict) and of other complaints from French nationals (among them the looting in 1828 of French shops at the [[Zócalo|Parian market]] and the execution in 1837 of a French citizen accused of piracy), in 1838 prime minister [[Louis-Mathieu Molé]] demanded from Mexico the payment of 600,000 [[Spanish dollar|pesos]] (3 million [[Francs]]) in damages.<ref name="Penot" /><ref name="Plumas">{{Cite web|url=https://plumaslibres.com.mx/2015/03/09/acuerdo-entre-mexico-y-francia-pone-fin-a-la-guerra-de-los-pasteles/|title=Acuerdo entre México y Francia pone fin a la Guerra de los Pasteles.|date=March 9, 2015|website=Plumas Libres}}</ref>

When President [[Anastasio Bustamante]] made no payment, the French king ordered a fleet under Rear Admiral [[Charles Baudin]] to declare and carry out a [[blockade]] of all Mexican ports on the [[Gulf of Mexico]] from [[Yucatán (state)|Yucatán]] to the [[Rio Grande]], to [[Battle of Veracruz (1838)|bombard the Mexican fortress]] of [[San Juan de Ulúa]], and to seize the city of [[Veracruz (city)|Veracruz]], which was the most important port on the Gulf coast. French forces captured Veracruz by December 1838 and Mexico declared war on France.

With trade cut off, the Mexicans began smuggling imports in Mexico via [[Corpus Christi, Texas|Corpus Christi]] (then part of the [[Republic of Texas]]). Fearing that France would blockade the Republic's ports as well, a battalion of Texan forces began patrolling [[Corpus Christi Bay]] to stop Mexican smugglers. One smuggling party abandoned their cargo of about a hundred barrels of flour on the beach at the mouth of the bay, thus giving [[Flour Bluff]] its name. The United States soon sent the schooner ''[[USRC Woodbury (1837)|Woodbury]]'' to help the French in their blockade.<ref name="Klein" /><ref name="Nofi" >{{cite book|last1=Nofi|first1=Albert A.|title=The Alamo and the Texas War for Independence|date=21 March 1994|publisher=Da Capo Press|isbn=0-306-80563-4}}</ref>

[[File:Combat de Vera Cruz 1838 Prince de Joinville attaque la maison du general Arista.jpg|thumb|French troops under [[Prince François, Prince of Joinville|Prince de Joinville]] attack the residence of General [[Mariano Arista|Arista]] in Veracruz, 1838. Painting by [[Pharamond Blanchard]].]]

Meanwhile, acting without explicit government authority, [[Antonio López de Santa Anna]], known for his military leadership, came out of retirement from his [[hacienda]] named "Manga de Clavo" near [[Xalapa]] and surveyed the defenses of Veracruz. He offered his services to the government, which ordered him to fight the French by any means necessary. He led Mexican forces against the French and fought at the [[Battle of Veracruz (1838)|Battle of Veracruz]] in 1838. In a skirmish with the rear guard of the French, Santa Anna was wounded in the leg by French [[grapeshot]]. His leg was amputated and buried with full military honors.<ref name=Orange>[http://orangeleader.com/local/x2056600153/Santa-Anna-s-Leg "Santa Anna's Leg"], ''The Orange Leader'' (Orange, Texas)  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104115445/http://orangeleader.com/local/x2056600153/Santa-Anna-s-Leg |date=November 4, 2013 }}</ref> Exploiting his wounds with propaganda, Santa Anna returned back to power.{{cn|date=March 2025}}

==Peace restored==
The French forces withdrew on 9 March 1839 after a peace treaty was signed. As part of the treaty, the Mexican government agreed to pay 600,000 [[peso]]s as damages to French citizens, while France received promises for future trade commitments in place of war indemnities. The damages were never paid, and this fact was later used as one of the justifications for the second [[Second French intervention in Mexico|French intervention in Mexico]] of 1861.<ref name="Aguilar Casas" /><ref name="Napoléon" />

Following the Mexican victory in 1867 and the collapse of the [[Second French Empire]] in 1870, Mexico and France would not resume diplomatic relationships until 1880 when both countries renounced claims related to the wars.<ref name=Coerver>Coerver, Don M. ''Mexico Today: An Encyclopedia of Contemporary History and Culture''. ABC-Clio, p.&nbsp;135. {{ISBN|978-157-607-1328}}.</ref><ref name="Velázquez">Velázquez Flores, Rafael (2007). ''Factores, Bases y Fundamentos de la Política Exterior de México''. Plaza y Valdés, p.&nbsp;117. {{ISBN|970-722-473-8}}.</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Pastry War}}
{{French colonial campaigns}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Conflicts in 1838]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1839]]
[[Category:1838 in Mexico]]
[[Category:1838 in France]]
[[Category:1839 in France]]
[[Category:1839 in Mexico]]
[[Category:Modern Mexico]]
[[Category:Wars involving Mexico]]
[[Category:Wars involving France]]
[[Category:Wars involving the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Second French intervention in Mexico]]
[[Category:19th century in Mexico]]
[[Category:Looting in North America]]
[[Category:19th-century military history of France]]
[[Category:19th-century military history of the United Kingdom]]