🇲🇽 1861–1864 | The French Intervention in Mexico | Part I What you’re seeing: Mexico’s descent from civil war into foreign intervention and monarchy. During the Reform War, President Benito Juárez and the Liberals fought Mexican Conservatives, including forces led by General Félix Zuloaga. The Liberals prevailed, but years of war left Mexico financially exhausted. In 1861, Juárez suspended payments on Mexico’s foreign debt. France, Britain, and Spain responded by sending forces to Veracruz. Britain and Spain eventually negotiated and withdrew. France did not. Why did France invade Mexico? Napoleon III wanted more than debt repayment. He saw an opportunity to establish a French-backed empire in the Americas and expand French influence while the United States was consumed by the Civil War. What happened at Puebla? On May 5, 1862, a smaller Mexican army under General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated the French at Puebla. The victory became the basis for Cinco de Mayo, but it did not end th...