Today is May 5th, a national celebration in Mexico. Oddly enough, it wasn’t until Corona beer and a chip company took up the banner in the late 1970s that the date began to have any real significance. Since border issues and illegal immigration rule the debate today, I thought it might be interesting to give you a bit of Mexican history.

Cinco de Mayo celebrates the victory of the Mexican army over French expeditionary forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The French were there along with British and Spanish forces who had come over Mexico’s refusal to repay its debt to these three countries (now it’s just America that Mexico remains indebted to). Mexico made deals with England and Spain, but the French were left hanging. In response to this, Emperor Napoleon III attempted to install one of his relatives, Archduke Maximilian of Austria, as ruler of Mexico. French forces numbering about 6,500 met approximately 4,500 Mexican forces on that day, and were routed by the Mexicans (couldn’t the French ever fight?).

What you don’t hear from Mexico is that in response to this defeat, Napoleon III sent about 30,000 soldiers who succeeded in occupying Mexico City and installing Archduke Maximilian as Emperor of Mexico.

As Lincoln’s War of Northern Aggression wound down, the U.S. was able to supply Mexican rebels with weapons and ammunition, and they eventually defeated the French and deposed Archduke Maximilian.

So now, 139 years later, we have Mexicans gaining illegal entry into the United States and announcing a “Reconquista”, which seems very funny to me — they couldn’t even “conquista” the French without our help, what makes them think they can do it to America (except through our own political flaccidity, perhaps)?

Hey, illegal aliens, “Parlez-vous Francais?”

No? You’re welcome!

Also linked at Cao’s Blog

Technorati: illegal immigration, Cinco de Mayo, Battle of Puebla, France

TD