The "Pastry War" is one of my favorites from Mexican History -- and, no, this is not because I enjoy "pastry" shops so much (be nice). In 1836 the ever-good, ever-bad "Santa Anna" was returning to Mexico from Wash, DC. He had concluded talks with Andrew Jackson and had ceded the Mexican territory of "Texas" to the Americans. (You know what? I will write more in my next post on the battle for Texas. I tend to side with the Mexicans, but I'll report, you decide.) Anyway -- Santa Anna returned to Mexico a worn, ragged, tired old man; he was discredited, disgraced, and taking his last breaths as a leader for the Mexican nation. Indeed, he was replaced by Anastasio Bustamante.
During this time Mexico was a place of civil disorder, political strife, and social discontent. You had the Spanish Elite, those Spaniards who had first "settled" in Mexico under the strong-armed protection of Spain. They mixed with the local Indians and formed a "Mestizo" population. The vast majority of people, however, were the Indian peasants who subsisted, just barely, in densely-packed urban areas or on their own dust-laden farms.
So, too, European and American "foreigners" lived inside Mexico. They were indiv with money, power and prestige, and they were used to having any trivial complaints resolved quickly by the Mexican government. They were resented deeply by the native population, and even by the Spanish settlers, themselves.
So it was that a pastry-chef made a claim that his shop had been vandalized, looted, robbed, and destroyed by Mexican soldiers. His complaint fell on deaf ears. The pastry-chef, appalled at this lack of regard, appealed to his own government for reparations. The appeal actually made it to the court of the French King, Louis-Philippe, who sensed an opportunity for the French government to intervene inside Mexico. The French King demanded 600,000 pesos for the pastry-chef (and other) claims.
By 1838, the French were actually moving large fleets of ships toward Mexico. They were blockading ports from the Yucatan to the Rio Grande, and the French actually seized the very important port of Veracruz. Santa Anna, sensing a chance to regain his national composure, mustered an army of perhaps 3000 men; France, however, gravely outnumbered him with nearly 30,000 men. I mean – really. Take a step back for a second. A pastry chef was this pissed off? His pastry shop was this important??
No. The French wanted to be able to have their cake… and to eat it, too. (Sorry)
Santa Anna, outnumbered 10 to 1, would nevertheless march foolishly against the French; he was wounded in battle and would actually lose his leg. This is another story, too – Santa Anna kept the bloody boot from his amputated leg and claimed he had rightly sacrificed himself for his nation. (Um, yes. That’s very nice, man) -- yikes.
The French were able to force Anastasio Bustamante to pay them 600,000 pesos, and talks were agreed upon whereby the French would remove themselves from Mexico. Had they not agreed… Mexico could have very well found itself in a war for it’s survival.
So next time you hit the pastry shop, you think of the “Pastry War” and the French Intervention in Mexico. I know you think you won’t… but trust me. You will.
