Historedia
AmericasEvent

Pastry War: French invasion of Mexico

When
1838
Where
Mexico; Veracruz
Episodes
3

The Pastry War began in November 1838 following French demands for compensation for losses suffered by nationals, including a pastry chef. When Mexico refused payment, French forces under Rear Admiral Charles Baudin blockaded Gulf ports and captured Veracruz. Antonio López de Santa Anna led Mexican defenses, sustaining injuries during the engagement.

Episodes

  1. 1838 · MexicoFrench Demands and Mexican Refusal

    French Prime Minister Molé demanded 600,000 pesos for losses suffered by nationals, including a pastry chef. President Bustamante refused to pay, triggering military escalation.

  2. 1838 · VeracruzBattle of Veracruz

    Santa Anna led Mexican forces against the French at the Battle of Veracruz. He was severely wounded and narrowly escaped capture during the engagement.

  3. November–December 1838 · VeracruzBlockade and Capture of Veracruz

    French forces under Rear Admiral Baudin blockaded Gulf ports, bombarded San Juan de Ulúa, and captured Veracruz by December 1838, leading to a declaration of war.

Background and detail

Background. Tensions arose from French complaints regarding mistreatment of nationals, including the looting of shops in 1828 and the execution of a citizen in 1837. Prime Minister Louis-Mathieu Molé demanded 600,000 pesos in damages. President Anastasio Bustamante failed to make the payment, prompting the French king to order a naval blockade of Mexican Gulf ports and the seizure of Veracruz.

Military Action. French naval forces blockaded ports and captured San Juan de Ulúa in Veracruz. The fleet, commanded by Rear Admiral Charles Baudin, bombarded the fortress and seized the city by December 1838. Mexico declared war on France in response. The United States sent the schooner Woodbury to assist the French blockade efforts.

Santa Anna's Role. Antonio López de Santa Anna, who had previously served as vice president, sought redemption for his earlier military failures. He led Mexican forces against the French at the Battle of Veracruz. During the French attack, Santa Anna was severely wounded and narrowly escaped capture, establishing his prominence in the conflict.

People involved

Sources

  1. Pastry War Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-28
  2. Antonio López de Santa Anna Wikipedia

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.